America's Elite: A SEAL Team fanfiction
by hfish7
Summary: Jason Hayes and his team of tier-1 operators are some of the best in the business. But sometimes, missions don't go as planned. This is a whump of the SEAL Team characters.
1. Chapter 1

Routine…..right?

Clay walked into the conference room behind Trent and the rest of the team. They each found their seats and waited for their mission. Commander Blackburn took a seat next to them, and the attention turned to Mandy Ellis. She pulled up drone pictures.

"This morning at zero three hundred hours,Abdul Rasheem was spotted with his men at a coffee shop in northern Cabul." She said, flipping through the pictures.

"Is that the dirt bag that blew up three schools and an orphanage last week?" Sonny asked.

"That's the one. What you don't know is that he plays second fiddle to someone higher up. Someone more dangerous." Ellis answered.

"Do we know who the big man in charge is?" Ray asked.

"No, but we know he's incredibly dangerous, and has access to an arsenal of weapons."

"So they want us to get this guy so they can have the big fish and then send the little one to Guantanamo bay?" Jason said, piecing it all together. Commander nodded.

"Sounds good to me!" Sonny said with his usual southern charm.

"The place will be heavily guarded, so you'll need to take a few higher powered guns, and a few grenades. He doesn't have to be in one piece, he just has to be alive." Davis said. The team nodded.

"Wheels up at 1600." Blackburn said. The team filed out and went to pack their stuff.

 **Later…**

Clay threw his rucksack onto the bed, then made his way to his closet to grab a t-shirt or two, underwear, and socks. After he finished packing, he turned the shower on. He stood under the steaming water, wondering how he would go about apologizing to Stella. They had just had their first big fight, and it was over something stupid and meaningless. He had realized that today, and knew that if he wanted to keep coming home to her, they needed to talk.

A few minutes later, he switched the handle off, and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. He was just pulling his pants on when he heard the front door open, and a voice called from the hall.

"In here!" He answered. She walked in as he ran his fingers through his sandy blonde hair, and tucked his uniform into his bag.

"Look, about yesterday…." He said, but she started to interrupt him.

"Let me finish please. I didn't mean what I said. I love you. I want you to be the one to snuggle up to me when the heat breaks, or hurry your head in my shoulder when there's a jump-scare on tv. I want you to be the one to correct my grammar, and challenge my political views. Most of all? I want you to be the one I come home to." Clay said, lovingly brushing a hair out of her eye.

"Wow. For a man of few words, that was a lot! You doing ok?" she answered with a laugh, but he could see the love in her eyes.

"I think so." He said with a smile.

"Good. I love you to. Where to this time? Never mind. Classified, right?" Stella asked, noticing the camo bag on the bed.

"Sort of. But don't worry, this one is pretty routine. It shouldn't take to long." He said.

"Good, because I've been planning a beach trip for us when you get back. I even got a reservation. I guess it was kind of a guilt thing….but whatever!" Stella said, running a hand over his freshly washed skin.

"Can't wait." He said, kissing her.

"I spent birthday money on the house, so you better come home in one piece!" She said, not knowing the how much she would soon mean those words.

"I will. Always." He answered.

 **Later…**

"Bravo one to Top, we are in position. Ready to move on the compound on your command." Jason said, signalling his team to stop.

"Top to Bravo one you are cleared for entry. Watch for land mines." Blackburn answered. "Affirmative. Moving to the gates." Hayes said. He nodded, and the team started moving towards the gates. Brock led with Dita, nose to the ground. They were approaching faster by the minute, when suddenly Dita stopped in her tracks, and sat down. Brock motioned for everyone to stop, as that was her way of telling them there was a bomb nearby. They saw a flashing light, surely a motion sensor. They all took a sharp right and continued on.

Soon the team made their way inside, tight in their formation, clearing the hall, and swiftly taking down any enemy that approached. They cleared the first two floors and made their way up the stairs.

"Top to Bravo one, do you read?" Jason paused, hearing the commander's voice in his ear.

"Loud and clear." He answered.

"We've got a problem. There's a truck of insurgents coming down the road. Their about 10 minutes out. Someone tipped them off." Blackburn said.

"Copy that. Alright boys lets make this quick. We're about to get some company." Jason said, only loud enough that those he wanted to would hear him. They moved forward to the room they were told Rasheem would be in, and set a small brick of c4 on the steel door. Everyone took cover, and Trent gave them the countdown, then blew the fuse. He second the door hit the ground, Hayes and his team crashed in. Their goggles slowed them to locate and take down the hostiles. Clay and Jason were the first to find Rasheem, and cuffed and hooded him in one swift move. They drug him to his feet, and pushed him to walk. Ray decided to lead the team out, leaving Clay and Jason with the prisoner. Jason had a tight grip on one of his arms, when suddenly the man flailed, throwing his head back into Jasons. The move shoved his goggles deep into the bridge of his nose, jarring him. Ray snapped around at the grunt of pain from one of his comrades, and saw Hayes doubled over with a hand to his forehead. Trent had been next to the commotion, and had landed a solid punch to the hooded man, trying to make an escape. He ensured it wasn't enough to knock him out, but plenty to stun him.

"Hayes! You good?" Ray asked, turning back to check on his man. He could see a flow of blood running down from the bridge of his nose left by his goggles.

"Dammit! I'm fine! Where is the SOB?" he asked, then handed him off to Clay, and motioned that he was ready to move.

They made their way out of the building, trying to ignore the yelling of their prisoner.

"Bravo one to Top. We have the package." Hayes said. They crept along, all the while Clay pulling him, and telling him to shut up at the same time. He tried just about every way he could think of saying it, even trying other languages.

"Spencer! We're almost out the door and if he keeps this racket up, we'll all be target practice for his buddies outside! Shut him up!" Jason hissed, turning around.

"I'm _trying!_ I've threatened him a million ways in every language I know!" Clay snapped back.

"I could just shoot him!" Sonny said.

"That would just make him louder. Gag him, but hold the hood over his eyes." Jason said. Clay held him still while two other guys followed the orders.

"Bravo one come in." Jason heard.

"Bravo one reporting." He said.

"That company is right outside. You need to get out of there, now!" Davis said, looking at the views from over head.

"Copy that. We're on the move." Jason said. He signaled to his team, and they quickly made their way out the way they came through the use and into the woods. Annoyance and adrenaline flooded them when suddenly shots started to ring out that aren't theirs, all directed towards freeing the prisoner. Clay pushed Rasheem behind a tree and was about to follow him when he felt a fiery pain rip through the top of his left shoulder. The cry of pain that escaped him was involuntary, but caught in this throat as a second and third pain joined it. He hit the ground, his mind trying to wrap around what had just happened. The pain clouded his mind, making everything spin. Sonny was the first to realize what had happened, and rushed to the younger soldier while the others were busy returning fire.

"Spencer's hit! Dammit kid!" He yelled, slapping Clays face lightly to make sure he was with them. This got the attention in my the team, including the leader. He looked back knowing their situation just got a lot more difficult. Fear flooded Jason as his mind replayed the night Nate died. He couldn't lose another man, let alone one as young as Clay.

"Keep him awake! Bravo one to top! Do you read?!" Jason yelled into his comms. Commander Blackburn, Davis, and Ellis crowded around when they heard the urgency in team leaders voice.

"Top to Bravo one, we read." Blackburn answered.

"Where's our ex-fil? We need backup! Bravo six is down!" Jason said, wishing he could turn around to check on the young soldier, but he knew the forces had to be fought off. Fear filled the three members of top who were listening to the battle through the open comms on their men.

"Alpha team is three minutes away! Can you hold them off? How bad is Spencer?" Commander asked.

"I think so! Tell them to kick it in the ass! We're taking heavy fi…." Ray answered, but was cut off mid sentence when a painful thud sent him flying backwards.

"Ray!" Jason yelled with a mixture of fear and fury, looking to where another one of his men had fallen.

"Bravo two! Come in! Bravo one, status!" Commander yelled, fearing the worst.

"It's…..in my vest. I'm...fine!" Ray said. He pulled himself off the ground, trying to disguise his grunt of pain. Everyone's attention was brought back to their badly injured teammate when Sonny let out a string of explicits.

"Come on kid! Stay with me! Boss! How far out is our ex-fil! The kids bleeding out!" Sonny yelled.

"Bravo three, Alpha should be there any second! Can you keep him stable?" Commander asked.

"I think so! That's it Spencer, open those eyes!" Sonny said, looking down at the soldier. He groaned in pain, and looked around him.

"St...stellas gonna….kill me…" He said with a half smile.

"Yea well right now let's just make sure those bullets don't beat her to it!" Sonny said, pushing harder onto the neck wound, and earning another gasp of pain. They all looked up, a sense of relief filling them when an armored truck sped down the road, the american flag flapping in the wind, ending the truck load of insurgents in seconds. Jason and the rest of the slowly lowered their weapons as they saw the familiar camo coming towards them.

"Top to Bravo and Alpha one. You guys need to get Spencer into the truck and get out of there now. I'm looking at another two trucks about to roll on your position!" Commander said, looking at the satellite image of the trouble his men were about to be in.

"Copy that. We've got a medic on board to take care of your guy. Let's get out of here." the Alpha team leader said. Jason nodded. Clay tried to focus on the voices talking to him, Sonny trying to threaten him into staying awake, but it was getting harder and harder. The pain continued to course through his veins. He thought of Stella, her beautiful brown hair blowing in the wind, the sun making her face glow, and how her eyes sparkled. His eyes slipped closed, and he finally gave in to the darkness.

"He's going into shock!" Sonny yelled. Their attention was averted momentarily by the sound of tires flying down the road, and the machine gun that was mounted to the top of the truck being loaded.

"Dammit! We don't have time for a stretcher, were gonna have to carry him!" Jason yelled. Ray and Trent grabbed Clays legs, and Jason quickly grabbed under his shoulder, opposite to where Sonny had picked up the injured side, still holding a cloth to the wound. Alpha team immediately formed a barrier around them, one of them grabbing the prisoner, and moved as fast as they could towards the truck. Once everyone was inside, they strapped Rasheem to the wall, and a medic checked Clay's vitals and pushed a needle into each arm to give him fluids and blood in hopes of replacing what he was losing.

"Someone help me get the vest off. I need to see of there's any other wounds." The medic said. Jason was the closest, and carefully pulled on the velcro straps and helped slide the vest off, watching to make sure Clays breath was still fogging the mask over his mouth and nose. When he was satisfied that it was he turned to ask the medic a question.

"How bad is it?"

"Well the wound is a through and through, but I think there might still be shards of the bullet in his shoulder. It also hit an vessel on the way out, which is why he was losing so much blood. The second one clipped his arm." He said. Jason nodded, and finally sat back in his seat, resting his aching head against the wall, and closed his eyes with a sigh. _This was supposed to be quick and easy._

 **Later…**

"How's our boy doing?" Jason asked when he felt Blackburn approaching.

"Not good. He's got a fever of 104°F. Doc thinks he got an infection somewhere. You need to get the cut looked at." He said, noticing the deep gash that was still bleeding slightly. Jason had been so busy worrying about Spencer he hadn't even stopped to think why his face still hurt.

"Yea I guess so. Send him over." Jason answered without opening his eyes.

"And you. You alright?" Commander as Ray, who was sitting next to Jason with hand pressed against the spot on his side where the shotgun round had hit his vest.

"Yea. Probably just a few bruised ribs." Ray said, continuing to stare off into the distance at nothing in particular. The doctor soon walked over and started to look at the gash on Jason's nose.

"Well, you'll need a few stitches." He said.

"Alright, let's do it." Hayes answered, mainly wanting to be left alone.

"Let me get something to numb it." He said, turning to walk away.

"Look doc, I've been stabbed, shot, burned, blown up, and just about everything else, and right now my head is pounding and I would very much like to just be left alone. So _please,_ just stitch me up and move on." Jason said, opening his eyes and giving the man an exasperated look. The doctor nodded, and then began. Minutes later, he was fixed up and alone to worry more about Clay.

 **Later…**

Stella didn't recognize the number on her phone, but since it was the third time it had shown up, she decided to answer it. She directed her class to work on the homework, then stepped out into the hallway to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Am I speaking with Stella?" A gruff voice asked, scaring her slightly.

"Yea. What's this about?" she asked, her mind immediately going to Clay.

"Your listed as the emergency contact for Clay Spencer. Is that correct?" the man asked, confirming all her fears. Her mind began to race with fear and worry, just as it did the last time she had gotten this call.

"Uh...yea. Yes. Did something happen to him?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"He was injured in combat and is in the ICU at the base hospital. I'm sorry, that's all I can tell you." He said. The words stopped Stellas breath for a moment. She put a hand over her mouth as tears pushed against her eyelids.

"Ma'am?" the voice questioned.

"Uh...um..uh I'll...I'm on my way." Stella said, soon hanging up. She ran back into her class and told everyone to go home, that there was a family emergency. She sprinted to her bosses office and relayed the same message, then ran to her car.

/

Stella parked the car in such as hurry, she nearly forgot to lock it as she ran towards the base office. She showed her visitors pass, and ran towards the reception desk.

"Uh..hi. I'm looking for the base hospital. I uh...I was told my boyfriend was there." Stella stuttered.

"Do you have a visitors pass?" the woman asked, barley looking up from her computer.

"She's with me Sam, it's ok." Stella looked towards the voice, and saw the highly esteemed Jason Hayes. She had met him before, but didn't know very much, other than that Clay practically worshiped him. None of that mattered now. Right now, all she wanted was answers. She walked to him as quickly as she could.

"That told me he's….hes in the ICU? What...what happened? Is he Ok?" She asked frantically as she turned to follow him.

"He was shot at the base of his neck, shattering his collarbone, again in his shoulder, and one in his vest. The bullet that went into his shoulder exploded on impact, and they had to go in to get all the pieces out. Doc said if the first bullet had been an inch to the left, it would've hit his jugular vein. He has a small infection from the wound, but he's on antibiotics that'll take care of it. He lost a lot of blood, so he's getting a transfusion." Jason explained, watching the worry and fear fill her as she wrapped her head around all the information.

"Oh my god…..is...is he….can I see him? Is he gonna be ok?" She asked.

"That's where I'm taking you. He hasn't been out of surgery for very long, so he'll probably still be out. Hey. He's a tough kid. Once his fever goes down, all he'll have to do is heal up, and he'll be as good as new." Jason said, trying to reassure her as they stopped outside his room. He had been through this all way to many times before, and the last time was far too painful to even acknowledge. He pushed the door open so she could walk in.

Stella stood speechless, staring at the the still figure laying in the bed. He looked stiff as a board, arms at his sides. She walked closer, moving her eyes up to finally notice the bulk of the large white bandage that wrapped around his muscular shoulder and neck, mostly hidden by the hospital gown. She sat down in the chair next to his bed, and wrapped her hands around his.

Clay felt the grogginess in his head starting to clear, and his senses slowly returned to him. He could hear the beeping of monitors and smell the scent of bleach and cleanliness. He mouth tasted dry like sandpaper. Then he felt the warmth of two soft, supple hands on his. _Those certainly aren't a soldiers hands….I must be..home_. He slowly opened his eyes, moving his head around to let him examine his surroundings, until they finally locked on the source of the warmth of his hands. He immediately smiled as he couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked, even in the light of the hospital room.

"Hey." He said, squeezing her hand.

"Hey yourself. You know, when I told you that you were supposed to come back in one piece, I meant it." Stella said, stroking his face.

"Well, I am still...in one piece. There's just an extra hole in…..me now." Clay said with a smirk, his words still forming a bit slower than he'd like. He reached his good arm towards the tray in front of him, trying to grab the cup of water to soothe his scratchy throat. Stella quickly grabbed it and held it for him, waiting until he was done with his long drink.

"Two actually. You got one in the shoulder to. Looks like I'll have to cancel that beach house. Hopefully they'll give me my deposit back." She said.

"Cancel? No way! We're going." Clay answered, clearly upset.

"Clay, you just got shot! You have an infection!" She said, surprised and slightly annoyed at his stubbornness.

"Trust me, I'm aware. I'll be out of here in two days, and then forced to stay around home for a while. Sun and sand is always the best medicine!" He said, turning on his best puppy eyes.

"If you say so. But you have to promise me you'll never scare me like that again. When I got that phone call..." She said, shaking her head.

"Hey. I will always come back to you. I promise." He said, looking into her eyes. She leaned in and kissed him, then sat back down on her chair. He soon got bored of the quite, and asked her to tell him about her day. She didn't think there was much to tell, but he was insistent, so she gave in.

 **Four days Later…**

"Are you sure your ready to leave?" Stella asked for what had to be the twentieth time.

"Stella, I've been cleared by the doctors! I'm fine. Can we please just go to the beach now?" Clay asked in an exasperated voice.

"Fine! Yea. The car is packed, I have all your medication and doctors orders to keep you from doing anything stupid, so please, don't make that hard!" She pleaded.

"Yes ma'am!" He said, slowly standing to his feet. He winced at the movement, and Stella nearly lost it. She rushed over and began checking everything.

"Stop! Please! Babe, I'm fine, ok? I'm gonna be sore for a while, but it's fine!" He said. She sighed and nodded, then walked out with him.

They passed the tack room on their way out, and hearing voices, making Spencer wish more than anything he could go in there and join his team. He stopped and turned when his girlfriends name was called. She turned also to see Sonny standing in the doorway.

"You take care of him! And have all the fun you can now because rehab from a shoulder wound sucks. First time you fire a weapon hurts like a b…." He said.

"Leave him alone! Don't ruin his vacation! Glad to see you back on your feet Spencer." Davis said, cutting Sonny off.

"Real shame the only way we get a vacation 'round here is gettin shot!" Sonny scoffed.

"Yea, well I'll see what I can do about that!" Commander Blackburn said as he joined the crowd. "Enjoy yourselves. And heal up." he said, turning to the couple.

"Will do." Clay said shaking his hand. Stella looped her arm in his good one, and they walked out together.

 **Somewhere near a beach….**

Clay and Stella walked hand in hand along the boardwalk, Clay in a white muscle shirt and camo shorts. Clay noticed more than one stray eye following them as the pair walked by, and they were all focused on Stella. She had jean shorts on over her bathing suit bottom, paired with a light, flowy shawl on over her bikini top. He couldn't blame them for the looks. She was gorgeous. He pulled her closer, and looked at how her hair blew in the ocean breeze, her eyes truly sparkling. He remembered how she had told him she always felt happiest at the beach, but seeing her know, he knew it was true. She caught him looking at her, and gave him a goofy smile.

"What? Is there something on my face?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No. It's just…." Clay said, his mind starting to take him away.

"Just what?" She asked, bringing him back.

"When I got shot, when I was laying there bleeding, you know what the last thing I saw before I blacked out was?" He said. Stella hated this, the mental image that popped into her mind of him laying on some desert plain, blood pooling under him.

"What?" she asked, forcing the image away.

"This exact moment. Your hair blowing in the wind, eyes sparkling." Clay said, staring at her. Usually, Stella would have a witty comment, but not this time. He had a close call, way to close for her liking. All she wanted to do was relish in these moments. So instead of of a comment, she leaned in and kissed him as they walked into their favorite beachside restaurant.

/

The couple spent about an hour and a half eating dinner and talking about anything and everything. It had been a long time since he'd been able to have this much time with Stella, and as much as he wished the reason they were able to stay longer had been different, he loved this just as much. Throughout the course of the dinner, he had felt someone watching them. He turned once or twice, catching a glimpse of the source of the stares. It was an old couple sitting in the booth a few rows over. His attention was brought back when he seemed to forget about his injury, and picked up his glass out of habit. As he brought it up close to his mouth, the twinge of pain reminded him of the wound in his neck. He was about to drop the cup when Stella luckily realized what was happening, and quickly grabbed it, and set it down.

"You still have that arm in a sling, remember? It's only been about a week!" She said, checking the bandages. He nodded, and waited patiently until she was done her inspection.

"And you just can't wait to get back." She said.

"That's not true! These last few days with you have been some of the best ever." Clay said, trying to defend himself, even though he knew it was true.

"It's ok. I know you love me, but I also know you love your job. I'm ok with sharing you. I just hope the next time we do this, two bullet wounds aren't why." She said, taking another sip of her sangria. He reached across the table, and held her hand once again.

/

Clay glanced up as the elderly couple walked out, taking one last look at them. He turned back, and called for their waitress as she passed.

"What can I get for you two?" She asked.

"Dinner was fantastic, thank you. We're ready for our check." Clay said. Stella echoed his praise of the meal.

"Oh that won't be needed." She answered.

"What do you mean?" Clay asked, confused.

"Your meal has been paid for." She said. The couple gave each other shocked looks, then laid tip for the waitress and got up to leave.

They made their way out of the restaurant, when Clay spotted the couple once again, a little ways down from them on the boardwalk.

"That's them." He said, pointing.

"What? Who?" Stella asked.

"The people who paid for our meal." He said.

"How do you know?" She asked, but he was already moving faster to catch up with them.

"Sir! Hey, sir!" Clay said, as the man finally turned around.

"You paid for our meal. I just wanted to thank you." He said, sticking out his hand.

"Your welcome. How could you tell?" The man asked.

"I don't know. I just kind of had a feeling. Why'd you do it?" Clay asked.

"Well son, my wife and I just couldn't help but watch you two. It took us back." He said.

"Really? How so?" Stella asked.

"We used to be you. I noticed that frog tattoo on your shoulder. It looked familiar. Yours looks better though." He said, referring to the frog tattoo Clay had gotten soon after Brian's death, signifying fallen Navy men. The man slowly rolled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a faded green tattoo, matching that on Clays bicep. Clay suddenly stood up straighter, as he had been taught to do around a senior military member.

"Thank you for your service. Where did you serve?" Clay asked, admiration filling him.

"Vietnam, 1960-65. I was one of the first frogman units. My name is Steven Barnes, this is my wife Louise." Steven said, finally introducing himself.

"Clay Spencer, and my girlfriend Stella." Clay said.

"Thank you for your service also." Louise said, turning to Stella.

"Oh I never served!" She said.

"Maybe not in war, but I know exactly how much you give everyday. Our service starts the day we fall in love with them, and never ends. Even more so when they come home wounded. This one sure gave me a run for my money." Louise said, nodding towards the bandage still on the side of Clays neck, and the sling he hated so much. Steve laughed, and kissed his bride on the cheek.

"How'd you guys do it, stay together for so long?" Clay asked.

"Well I mostly did everything my father didn't. I was a second generation soldier, and my dad? We'll just his parenting skills weren't much to learn from, but he did teach me how to fight. The best advice I can give you is to not let a single day go by without telling her how much you love her. Not a single day." He said. The group fell silent, letting the words soak in. They soon thanked each other, the girls hugging, and the men shaking hands. Then they said goodbye, and went their separate ways. Clay vowed that day to do just as Mr. Barnes had said.

/

 **Hi! Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed! I know that Clay doesn't have a tattoo in the show, but it worked for the writing so I added It! I think he should have tattoos! Anyway, leave a review with thoughts and any requests for chapters about certain characters or ideas!**


	2. Chapter 2

Career Day

"Is it really so hard to make it?!" Alana yelled, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Come on! You know the answer to that! My schedule is unpredictable, you should understand this by now! What, do you think terrorists look at their calendar and go "Well Jason Hayes won't be available that day because of his sons school. Man, guess we can't plan a bombing that day!" that's not fair!" He yelled back.

"This means alot to him! He worships the ground you walk on Jason!" She said, shaking her head.

"You think I don't know that?! You don't think it kills me every time I miss his games?! If the roles were reversed, how would you feel? Never thought of that had you?" He said, slamming a fist on the counter. She was about to reply when the front door opened and the kids ran in.

"Hey dad! Your gonna be at career day right? All my friends have questions for you!" Mikey said.

"I'll try buddy, I promise!" He said, pursing his lips. He squeezed his sons shoulder, wishing for just a moment that things were different. He hugged Emma as she came in, just as his phone rang. He looked at the name and closed his eyes, taping it on his forehead in frustration.

"Look, Alana…." He said, not really knowing the words he wanted to say.

"Its fine. We'll talk about it some other . Go save the world." Alana said. She'd know that look anywhere.

 **Later…**

Jason walked into the conference room and took his chair at the front of the room. After everyone was in, Davis stood up.

"So which country we off to this time?" He asked, trying to hide the slight annoyance in his voice.

"Cuba. This man, Victor Nunez, has taken over an American built school. He's held it for the last three weeks. He has a small group of men that would follow him to the grave, and probably will." She said.

"That's awful and all, but isn't that Cuba's problem?" Clay asked, Ray pointing at him and raising an eyebrow in agreement.

"It would be, except besides the kids, there's a group of 16 American missionaries Nunez has taken hostage inside the school." Davis said, putting up more pictures. The members of Bravo team nodded.

"Do we have orders to kill?" Jason asked.

"Yes. In fact, Cuba's exact words were that this man is "a parasite that needs to be squashed". The situation is deteriorating, so they need us down there as soon as possible. Do whatever you gotta do." She said.

"He's gonna try to take as many people down with him as he can, so be careful. Wheels up in two hours." Blackburn said. Jason jumped up and made his way to the tack room.

/

"Hey. Everything ok at home?" Ray asked, leaning against the side of Jason's cage, and snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Not really. How could you tell?" Jason asked, looking up at his friend.

"Well I've known you for years for one, and you've also been cleaning that gun for the last 45 minutes." Ray said, looking at the weapon that was sparkling more than it probably ever had before. Jason sighed, and set the rag down.

"Mikey's having career day at his school, and he really wants me to be there. He said all his friends are asking if I'm coming. Alana's mad I might not be there." He said, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm sure Mikey understands. And Alana? I guess this is just another thing, huh?" Ray said, trying to make him feel better.

"Yea. I just really don't want to let him down! This mission better go quick." Jason said, packing the rest of his things into his rucksack. Ray nodded, and left him to his thoughts once again.

 **Later…**

Jason gave his team instructions as the humvee line took them towards the school. When it finally came to a stop, they jumped out, and assessed the situation. They could hear screaming from inside the building.

"Alright. Tango team is covering the West side, so we'll be going in from the east, and clearing the building until we meet in the middle. We have Intel that all the Americans are wearing matching neon t-shirts. The kids and teachers from the school will be in a uniform. If you see anyone one else, take them out." Jason explained to not SEAL teams standing in front of him. Everyone nodded, and started to make their way towards the building.

"One more thing. This man is incredibly dangerous. Everyone comes home tonight, ok?" Jason said, pausing them. They all nodded once again, and the team's split off.

/

The team moved towards, clearing each room one at the time. The silencers on their guns kept their movements towards their main target a secret. They knew he was holed up in the cafeteria with the group of missionaries. They had already gotten six rooms of students out to the Cuban police waiting for them. Hayes held his fist up, motioning for his team to pause, when he heard a rustling in a nearby room. Seconds later, a muzzle appeared first, a man and the rest of the gun soon followed. Ray quickly took him out, and they kept moving forward.

They finally found their way to the cafeteria.

"Tango one this is Bravo one, come in." Jason said over the radio.

"Tango one responding." a voice answered.

"Are you in position?" He asked.

"Affirmative. Ready when you are." The other operator answered. Jason set his team, and waited until everything was silent.

"Breech breech breech!" He said, and both teams crashed through the doors. There was the immediate panic as many from the group of Americans began to scream. Nunez and his personal army brought their rifles up, ready to fight. Members of Tango and Bravo took out Nunez's men, while ushering few of the teachers and missionaries out the door. Jason and Ray broke off from the pack and got closer to the man. Time seemed to slow down as he watched Victors eyes land on one of the missionaries that was still waiting to get out. He wasn't close enough for him to grab and hold hostage, but he was plenty far to shoot him. He prayed Ray saw the same thing as him, and threw himself at the boy just as two shots rang out. One fired from Rays gun, who had gotten the message, and put a slug right between the eyes. The one from Nunez found its way through Jason's thigh. He felt the familiar pain as he and the boy hit the ground. Ray was the first one at his side, as he had seen the blood spray from his friends leg. Sonny grabbed the kid and guided him out of the building to safety.

"Take it easy, you'll be alright man!" Ray said, taking off his glove and pressing it hard onto the hole in Jason's left pant leg.

"I….I know. This ain't my...first time…...getting shot!" Jason said against the pain as Tango team joined him. One of the men from the other SEAL team pulled a medical kit out of his bag and crouched down beside Hayes, pulling out a roll of gauze.

"Wait…..I...I can see...the bullet." Jason said, closing his eyes and trying to slow his breathing as he looked into his leg. Before anyone knew what he was doing, he grabbed the the pliers out of his vest, took a breath and shoved them into the wound with a yell of pain.

"What the hell are you doing?! Stop!" Ray asked in shock as he watched Jason dig around in his own leg. The breaths of pain had everyone concerned, until they saw him pull out the bullet and throw it on the ground.

"You are seriously insane man. Please patch him up so we can get outta here." Ray said, shaking his head, then looked at Brian, the leader of Tango. He nodded, and wrapped the gauze tightly around the wound, earning a gasp of pain from Jason.

"He's good to go." Brian said. Ray nodded, and he and Clay put a hand under Jason's shoulders and lifted him up, and put his arms around their shoulders. They made their way out to their ex-fil, and onto the chopper.

 **Later…**

"Well, you got lucky. It missed you femoral artery. I gotta say though, digging around in your own leg with a pair of pliers wasn't the greatest idea." Doctor Collins told Jason.

"You did what?!" Alana asked him, shock, confusion, and the slightest hint of anger in her voice.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time…" Jason said, his head still a little fuzzy from the morphine.

"I updated your tetanus shot just to be safe. Your good to go. Just take it easy for a little while." Dr. Collins said, then handed him a pair of crutches. He nodded and picked up his bag, pulling his car keys out of the side pocket.

"Where are you going?" Alana asked.

"First I'm getting a coffee from Dunkin Donuts, and then I'm heading over to Ray's for the night." He answered.

"Seriously?" Alana said. Jason sighed when he heard the tone in her voice. He was tired and his leg was throbbing, and he didn't really feel like getting into an argument fight now.

"I didn't think you wanted me at the house anymore. Wasn't that our compromise?" He asked.

"Jase, you just got shot! The kids are worried about you! I'm worried about you! Sure, we have our differences, but none of that matters right now! Please." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Ok." He said, letting her take his bag.

 **Later…**

"Thank you Mr. Tate. Our last guest of the day is someone very special! Class, give a nice welcome to Mr. Hayes!" Mrs. John said. The class clapped respectfully as Jason hobbled his way to the front of the room. The faces staring back at him were mostly curious, except for one. One look that suddenly made it seem like everything was right in Jason's world again. Mikey, who was sitting about three rows back, was beaming with pride.

"Hi everyone! My name is Jason Hayes, and I am a Navy SEAL. My official rank is Master Chief Special Warfare Operator. That's a lot of big words, but basically, my team and I do special missions wherever and whenever we're needed across the globe. My job is to keep this country safe. I don't really have anything else, but I'm ready for questions!" He said, introducing himself. As soon as the last word left his mouth, the hand of almost every kid in the class shot up. He laughed along with the teacher, and pointed to one boy, waving his hand around.

"Do you get to go all over the world?" He asked eagerly.

"Yes I do. My team and I go wherever there is a threat to America's security." He answered.

"Do you kill people like in the video games?" another boy asked.

"James. That's not appropriate." Mrs. John scolded.

"No it's ok, I'll answer it. Video games give you a little glimpse of what war is like, but not an accurate one. In real war, your not in the comfort of your bedroom. You can't just turn it off when you don't want to be in it anymore. And above everything else, when people someone fires a killshot, you don't get power ups or renewed lives. I used to love video games like that to, until I saw the real thing. So what I'm saying is be careful what you believe about them." He said said, the room falling silent.

"Thank you! I think you kids should really think about that! Any other questions?" Mrs. John said.

"Did you get shot? Is that why your on crutches?"

"Yes. I got lucky though, it wasn't serious. Just hit me here." Jason said, tapping his leg.

"Did it hurt?" a girl asked timidly.

"It did. But I had a lot of amazing people around me to help me feel better." He said.

"SEAL stands for something right?" a girl asked.

"That's right! It stands for Sea, Air, and Land, which are our three areas of operations." He said.

"Can I become a Navy SEAL?" Jason was about to answer the question excitedly when his brain registered whose voice it was. Mikey stared back at him, a sincere look on his face. He froze for a minute, hearing Alana chewing him out already.

"I think you'll have to clear that one with mom!" Jason said with a smirk. The class laughed, and Mikey soon joined.

"Well class, we are all out of time! Let's all thank Mr. Hayes for his service, and all the parents for coming!" Mrs. John said. The class clapped, and Jason shook hands with all the parents. Once everyone was gone, Mrs. John thanked him again, and he made his way out of the room. Mikey saw him and said goodbye to his friends, then ran to his dad. Jason was expecting a fist bump, but was nearly knocked over when Mikey threw himself at his dad and wrapped him in a hug.

"Hey buddy!" He said, slightly confused.

"Thanks so much for coming dad! My friends loved you! They want to come over and hear stories!" Mikey said with joy.

"So you're winning some popularity because of your old man, huh?" Jason said, grinning.

"I guess so. I love you." Mikey said, staring up at him.

"I love you to." Jason said, returning the hug, and taking a second to breath in this moment with his son.


	3. Chapter 3

Bravo Six

Clay followed his team, bringing up the rear as they slowly made their way through the halls. Their mission was to make their way into a building where a group of extremists had made themselves comfortable. They only had a few minutes to get in and get back out with the Intel the men had stolen in a raid. They had the files, and were quickly making their way out of the building.

"Bravo team, this is top. You exfil is waiting where we said." Clay heard boss' voice over the radio. As they neared the back door of the building, Clay saw a blinking light of the corner of his eye. It got brighter as more of the men passed it, and he finally realized what it was.

"Everybody out! It's a bomb!" He yelled. The men turned around and saw the urgency on Clays face, then rushes out. The blinking got faster and faster, and he knew there wasn't much time left. He shoved Sonny out of the door, and before he could follow, a loud bang sounded, and he felt himself be thrown backwards, farther into the building. He slammed into the wall, hearing a few different cracks in his midsection as he hit the wall. The only upside was that he wasn't awake for long enough to feel the pain that followed.

/

Jason squeezed his eyes against the ringing. He pushed himself off the ground and looked around him. Ray had already stood up, and was helping Brock up. The team looked towards Sonny, and watched him peel himself off the ground.

"Where's Spencer?" Hayes yelled, looking around.

"He pushed me out! He's still in there!" Sonny said, looking back towards the building. He was about to head back in when bullets suddenly started peppering the ground around their feet. They immediately started firing back, and took of running towards the rocks near their exfil. They took out a few of the insurgents, and tried to plan.

"Bravo one to Top! We have lost bravo six! He is stuck inside the building." Jason said, fear running through him at the words.

"Top to Bravo one, return to base with exfil!" Commander Blackburn answered after moments of silence.

"Your telling me to leave him hear with these maniacs?! No way!" Jason asked with shock.

"Hayes, we will get him back, but for now, stand down and return to base. That's an order!" Blackburn said. Davis shook her head, looking to where Ellis was pacing the floor.

"Fine. Approaching exfil now!" Jason said, cursing under his breath.

 **Later…**

Clays eyes rolled open, and he slowly got his bearings. His side was burning with pain that he recognized as broken ribs. He moved his hands around, trying to steady himself, and felt a sticky liquid coming from his side. When he felt a hole accompanying it, he didn't have to think about what it was for much longer. _Why is...everything moving_ he wondered. Then suddenly, a bump sent him airborne for a second. Aside from the fierce pain that came when he hit the ground, it made sense. Not only had he been kidnapped, but whoever took him was moving him somewhere.

/

A little while later, he finally started to come to. As he looked around, he realized he was now strapped to a chair, with his hands tied to the arms of the chair. He struggled against the binding, and looked around at his captors who were standing against the wall.

"Look who's finally awake. You comfy enough?" A man said, stepping forward. He had a heavy accent, and was definitely native, and a crooked smile on his face.

"Definitely." Clay answered, knowing he couldn't show any sign of weakness, no matter how bad his abdomen hurt.

"So...Clay. What exactly was your team doing in these parts? You Americans, you just can't seem to stay out of our business." The man said.

"I don't know what your talking about." He said. The man laughed.

"Wrong answer." He said, then wound up and slammed his fist into Clay's injured side. Clay bit back the pain that raged through him.

"What happened to the files you stole?" The man asked.

"You mean the files _you_ stole from the embassy?" Clay said, taking a breath.

"If you colonizers would've just stayed out of my country and our business, none of this would be happening. Just tell me where your buddies took them, and I'll let you go." He said.

"Can't do that." He said. The man's face twitched with anger, and he landed another punch across Clays face.

"I gave you a chance, but now I can't help you anymore. These men were trained by the Soviet Union years ago. Their expert interrogators. They'll get it out of you one way or another." He said, then motioned to them. He stepped back against the wall to watch. After the the first few punches, Clay decided to close his eyes against the pain.

 **One day later…**

"He shoved me out of the way!" Sonny said, slamming a fist in the table.

"And we'll get him back so you can thank him." Jason said, trying to keep his head clear, but he couldn't help but worry. Nate had died because he wasn't keeping a close eye on him. It was his call to put Clay in the back of the pack, and he couldn't handle having another death on his track record, or his conscience.

"We damn sure won't be able to do that sitting around here!" Sonny said angrily.

"Look, we all want him back. Ellis is talking to one of her contacts in the area to find out if he saw anything." Davis said, coming into the room on base. Only two months into deployment and it had already ran off the rails. All of the remaining Bravo team members were gathered around the table, desperately trying to come up with a way to get Spencer back. It had almost been a day and a half since he was taken, which wasn't extremely long, but to long for them. Even Dita seemed restless, not able to stay in one spot for more than a few minutes. Everyone was worried, and would be until Clay was safely back with them.

 **Meanwhile…**

Clay almost all of his strength to lift his head when the door opened. When he did, it pounded incessantly, and the blood on his brow ran into his eye once again. He blinked as much of it out as he could.

"Ah good, your awake. I really thought I'd killed you that last round." his captor said with a sadistic smile. He circled the chair a few times, then put his hands over top of Clay's wrists, one of which was clearly broken, and squeezed. The pain that vocalized itself without him even being able to control it. The man laughed, and took a step back.

"So. Are you ready to tell me what I want to know yet?" He asked, giving Clay a moment to catch his breath.

"Can't." was all he managed to get out. The man shook his head, rage filling him. He spun around and kicked the legs of Clay's chair as hard as he could, sending him to a hard thud, jolting all the multitude of broken and bruised parts in his body. He was quickly yanked right side up again, and the sharp movement sent his head swirling. His stomach flipped, and he spilled what was left in him onto his legs and the floor below him. _Well that's fantastic. Internal bleeding._ he thought when he saw the vomit on his lap. It was almost entirely blood.

"That's repulsive! Can't have that smell in here!" The man said. He grabbed a bucket of water and doused Clay in it. The temperature against his bare skin of his abdomen felt like it would freeze the blood in his veins right where it was. Every muscle tensed up, sending new bolts of pain through them.

"Well I guess we'll just have to try something else. Get him up." The man said. Two of his henchmen roughly cut the ropes off Clay's wrists and ankles, and drug him to the corner, stood him on a bucket, and tied his arms above his head. The new position made new parts of him hurt that he didn't even know were injured. The man walked towards him running his hands over the newly sharpened blade of a meat cleaver. Clay's breaths came in short pants as he tried to to keep himself from crying out. The man pushed the blade into the gash from the explosion, and slowly slid it an inch or two to the right.

"Still no information you want to share?" He asked, watching the fresh blood seep down into the waistband of his pants. Clay had been biting down on his lips so hard that he had drawn blood. He knew words wouldn't happen right now, so he instead shook his head vigorously.

"Wow. Most times of be impressed with a prisoner as resilient as you, but since your an American, it just pisses me off." He said. In one swift move, he kicked the bucket out from under Clay's feet, sending his full body weight to his wrists and arms. His screams of agony ripped through the walls as he felt both of his shoulders viciously popped out of socket simultaneously. He pain soon made him blackout, which was his only relief.

 **Meanwhile stateside…**

Stella rolled over, pulling the covers higher over her shoulders. For some odd reason, she couldn't sleep. She pulled her shirt up to her nose, breathing in the thick, musky scent. She missed having him next to her, missed being able to snuggle into his side and share his body heat. She tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. He sat up and switched on the lamp, then grabbed her computer. She opened Skype and prayed he would answer. 10 minutes, nothing. It had been about a week since they had talked, which was weird. He usually had some time free right about now on sundays. She closed the program, then tried again. Still, nothing. That's was also unusual.

 _Wherever you are babe, know I love you and miss you._

 **Back in the desert…**

Jason looked at his watch for what had to be the 100th time in the last two hours. It was 3am, only six minutes after the last time he checked. His mind wouldn't let him sleep, not when one of his men was god knows where, likely on the brink of death. He was about to roll over when suddenly Commander Blackburn burst into his tent. Jason sat up stick straight in bed, and looked questioningly at him.

"I got something!" He said when he saw that Jason was awake.

"What?" He asked, still confused.

"Him. I got him!" He said happily. Blackburn explained everything, and Jason sprang up and grabbed his gear. He sprinted to Rays room and busted in just like the commander had done to him.

"Hayes, it's 3:15am. What the f…"

"We found him!" Jason said, cutting him off. With those words, Ray threw the covers off and followed him out into the common area.

/

Jason signaled to his team as they crept towards the battered wooden house in the middle of nowhere. He held up the day gun and watched as the heat signature appeared on the screen.

"Ok, looks like we have four inside, and I'm guessing that ones out boy." He said, looking at the the small screen in front of him. They moved forward, taking down the guards at the front door. Sonny the pin out of a flash grenade and threw in into the room. As soon as they heard the bang, Jason kicked the front door off the wooden hinges, and they charged inside. The light of early morning gave them some light and they each had a bullet for one of the men inside. Then Jason saw what they had come for. Clay was hanging from the rafters, his head slumped forward, and his body covered in blood. The floor underneath him was saturated with blood, which told Jason the kid definitely needed a hospital and a blood transfusion. They all converged on the limp figure in the corner at once. Jason pressed two fingers to the side of Clay's neck. He breathed a small sigh when he found a pulse.

"He's alive! Cut him down!" He said.

"Bravo three to Top, we have Bravo six. I repeat, we have Bravo six. He's still kickin'." Sonny said. The air returned to the room back at base at the words.

"Top to Bravo six that is good to hear. The area is clear, no one knows your there. Bring him home!" Commander said, hi fiving Davis happily.

"Shit. Both his shoulders are out! Hopefully he doesn't wake up for this part." Ray said when he went around to the back of him to grab onto him. Sonny cut the rope, and helped Ray and Jason lay him carefully onto the stretcher. Derek kneeled down and packed the stomach wound. Just as he tapped the gauze down, Jason saw his eyes flutter open. Clay groaned, getting the attention of everyone around him, even Trent, who was standing guard in the doorway.

"Take it easy man. We got you." Clay waited for the haze to clear from his vision. He panic faded when he recognized the southern twang that had to be that of Sonny Quinn. He moved his eyes around to see the navy green camo on everyone's vest. The pain was overbearing, but lessened slightly by the fact that he knew he was safe finally.

"This is gonna hurt like b**ch, but it'll hurt worse if we leave it for the ride home, so I gotta do it, I'm sorry." Derek said, putting a hand on Clays shoulder and arm, with Ray doing the same on the other side. After the count of three, both men pushed the shoulders back into place. Spencer's scream of pain was cut short by his body dealing with it the best way it knew how.

"He's out. Let's get him outta here." Derek said. He pulled the blanket up over Clay's shoulders, and grabbed one of the bars on the carrier along with Jason, Ray, and Sonny. They quickly got him into the back of the humvee, and let Derek go to work. He have him an IV of fluids and nutrition along with morphine and blood, and tried to asses the damage as best as he could.

 **Later…**

"What's the news?" Jason asked as commander walked into the waiting room of the base hospital where Bravo team was crowded.

"Doc is fixing some intestinal damage from the blast and removing his appendix which ruptured. Other than that, he has six broken ribs, a fractured wrist, sternum, thumb and foot, two dislocated shoulders and a partially dislocated elbow, a concussion, and a grand total of 145 stitches, give or take." He explained. Silence filled the room as they realized how serious the injuries were but also how lucky he was.

"Damn. They really did a number on him." Brock said.

"Yea. I'm just glad their dead. They are, right?" He asked.

"Yea. Sonny made sure he used half the bullets he had on the guys." Ray said. They all continued to wait for their brother to wake up.

 **Days later…**

Clay flipped through the 20 channels on the tiny tv in the base hospital room. He looked up when he saw Sonny walk in.

"Hey man." Clay said.

"I heard you were finally awake. Everyone else has been here, but I wanted to be here when you could follow a conversation." Sonny said, sitting down next to the bed.

"Sure. What's up?" He asked.

"Thank you. You saved my life and nearly lost yours." Sonny said. Clay wanted to brush it off, say it was just instinct, but he knew the thanks was sincere, so he refrained. Instead, he stuck out his hand for a, knowing a hug would hurt to bad.

"Your welcome." He answered. Then the door opened again, and the rest of the team poured into the room, brining with it noise and commotion, but also food, so Clay was perfectly content. He had talked to and Stella and gotten her expected, panicked reaction. After he finally convinced her he was going to be ok, it had been amazing.

"So when can I get back out there with you guys?" Clay asked Jaso and Blackburn.

"Spence, it's only been a few days! Relax!" Jason said, fixing the blankets without even noticing.

"I know, I know. I just hate laying around!" He said.

"All in due time." commander answered. Clay nodded, and then focused on the conversations around him, and joined in. All was right once again.


	4. Chapter 4

Out of Commission

 _Nothing like throwing up to bring a grown man to his knees_ Ray thought to himself as he leaned over the side of the bed, and gagged again, soon filling the bucket next to his bed once again.

"Hey, could ya hurl a little quieter? My head is pounding." Sonny said from across the room.

"Yea well if you don't shut up, I'm gonna come over there and make it pound harder!" He said as he laid his head back onto the pillow.

"I'd love to see you try!" Sonny scoffed.

"Says the one who had to quit a mission halfway through!" Ray snapped back.

"If I hadn't I would've given away our position and gotten your sorry ass shot!" Sonny yelled, causing him to join the throwing up party.

"Hey ladies, if you wouldn't mind, some of us are trying to concentrate on other things. I will make both of you shut up if I have to!" Davis said from her side of the room.

"I still don't understand how you can read and be walking around and everything." Trent said, then paused to throw up.

"It's like you're not even sick." he said, wiping off his mouth.

"Yea well maybe that's because I don't eat like a pig like you guys do." She answered. He had a point, she didn't feel all that bad anymore. This morning had been a nightmare, but as everyone had gotten worse throughout the day, she started to get better. Sonny sat up with his bucket once again, and rinsed his mouth out afterwards, considering re-brushing his teeth to get rid of the awful taste.

"And they still don't know what this damn thing is?! If they don't figure this out soon, I'll..." Sonny asked angrily.

"You'll what? Throw up on em'? Relax big guy, they'll figure it out soon enough." Jason said with a smile, despite the fact that his stomach was still wound in knots. Sonny was complaining more than anyone else in the room, and he hadn't even gotten the worst of whatever this was. That title belonged to Brock, who was hunched into the fetal position on his cot. Jason smiled when he looked over, and there Dita was, still curled up as close to her owner as she could get, with her head nuzzled into his chest. She had refused to leave his side all day, only getting up once to go to the bathroom, and even then it was the fastest trip she had ever taken. _Truly man's best friend._

"What I want to know is how the kid is sleeping so soundly? What the heck did he take." Jason asked, looking over to where Clay was passed out on his bunk. He had spent about an hour bringing everything up like the rest of them, but then suddenly he was asleep. He had finally stopped snoring, giving the rest of them less to make jokes about.

"Dramamine. I'm telling you guys, when it comes to handling sickness, he makes the rest of you look like babies." Davis said with a smirk.

"I'd be able to handle it fine if tough guy over there would stop whining about it all the time." Ray said.

"And I'd be able to handle it if it didn't reek so bad in here!" Sonny answered.

"Your talking about the _smell_? Have you been around a baby?" Jason laughed, and fist-bumped Ray.

"No, but I did grow up on a cattle ranch and this is a different smell entirely!" Sonny said. Jason chuckled to himself until it soon became more, and he leaned towards his bucket. This sucked. He looked up when the door opened and the base doctor walked in.

"Alright, since this hasn't gone away, we're gonna give you each fluids through an IV. You all look pretty dehydrated, and that's not good. This way you won't bring it back up right away. How long has he been asleep?" Dr. Hughes said, then looked over at Clay.

"A few hours. He took dramamine earlier." Jason answered. Hughes scrunched his brow with a puzzled look, then walked to Clay's bedside. He checked all his vitals then huffed, confirming something in his mind. He pulled a thermometer out carefully stuck it under the man's tongue, trying not to disturb him.

"Mhmm. Just what I thought. This kid gets a fever easier than anyone I have ever seen!" he said, looking at the temperature on the screen. Then he got out an IV bag and hung it onto the hook, and got a needle out of his bag. He figured that he could get it in without waking him up, but soon found out he was wrong. Clay snapped awake and quickly jumped into a sitting position.

"At ease soldier. This'll make you feel a little better." Dr. Hughes said stepping back to give Clay a moment to calm down. Clay wiped the sweat off his forehead and squinted against the headache that made the room spin. He finally laid back down.

"Welcome back sleeping beauty." Ray said as the room watched what happened. He rolled his eyes at the comment, and held his arm out for the the IV. Dr. Hughes then made his way around to the rest of the men, and hooked them up with fluids. The room was now filled with the sound of Clay adding to the gross noise that had filled the room all day long. Two others joined in as the doctor left the small building on the South corner of the base.

 **/**

"How are they?" Commander Blackburn asked as Dr. Hughes walked back into their office, minutes after being the their room.

"Still not keeping anything down. Three have fevers. The fluids should help." He answered.

"Do we know what this thing is?" Ellis asked.

"Not quite yet. It's presenting as food poisoning, but I still need to run some tests to make sure it's not any native disease." Dr. Hughes said.

"Well do it fast because I can't have a full team out of commission for much longer. And it better not be contagious because I don't need the rest of the base getting it." Blackburn said.

"I'm working as fast as I can. Hopefully the quarantine will do its job, and I can treat them before it gets to out of hand." He replied, then walked to the base hospital to run more tests.

 **Later…**

"Yes, I'm fine. It's probably just a bug." Ray said, keeping a hand on the side of his laptop just in case he needed to move it quickly. He felt fine right now, and figured it was probably because of the sight of his wife. She always had a way of taking his mind off of what was bothering him.

"You don't look very fine. Have they given you anything for it?" she asked. She could see the sickness on her husband's face even through the screen.

"Yea they got us on fluids and some type of medicine for the fever." He answered.

"Everybody got it?" she asked.

"Unfortunately yes. I get sick and still can't get a break from these guys!" He joked. She waited patiently and watched as the sickness again reared its ugly head. She looked on with sympathy, wishing so much that she could rub his back and comfort him. He was the toughest man she knew, but she still missed him more than words whenever he was away. The nurse in her then started to diagnose him, looking at the signs and putting together his symptoms.

"When was the last time you guys ate together?" She asked.

"That would be yesterday morning." Jason answered while Ray was still sick.

"Hi Jason. What did you eat?" she asked next.

"Nurse Perry to the rescue!" Sonny yelled from across the room, setting off a round of laughter.

"Hi Sonny. I'll see if I can help you guys. So did you eat anything out of the ordinary?" she asked Jason, but didn't get an answer as he picked up where Ray had left off. She next looked to Clay, who's body had hardly taken a break from the sickness since he'd been awake. Ray then turned the computer screen to show Brock who still hadn't moved, and an unusually pale Sonny. It then got to the corner to where Davis was fixing Trent's IV.

"It got you to! Wow. You seem better than the rest of them though." Naima said when she saw her.

"Yea well if this is food related, I probably got over it faster because I don't eat near as much as they rest of them. Whatever it is must be pretty potent. I mean, these guys have been through much worse, and this is what knocks them flat on their asses?" She said, looking around the room.

"Makes sense. Food poisoning can certainly do that." Mrs. Perry said.

"So that's what this is? It was probably that damn curry!" Jason said, thinking back to last meal he had eaten.

"That's it! Man! It was so good too!" Clay said.

"Yea, and you packed away like three bowls! And Brock over there has always been a sucker for good lamb curry." Ray said. It all made sense now. He turned the screen back to himself.

"Thanks hun." He said.

"No problem. This should pass in a day or two, depending on how bad you got it. Just stay in bed and stay hydrated, and you'll be back out their in no time!" She said. Ray told her to kiss his kids for him, and said their goodbyes, then hung up. They all settled in a little easier now that they knew what they were dealing with, and that it would soon pass. They also couldn't wait to see the look on the doctors face when they would tell him they already knew what it was.

 **Later…**

Jason loaded the supplies into his tack vest and looked up at the whistle of Sonny strutting into the room.

"Doc confirmed that Naima was right. That little bug was all because of the lamb." Jason said as the rest of Bravo team filed into the room to clean their weapons.

"I'm just glad it's over!" Sonny said.

"Me to. I don't know how much longer I could've stayed sane if I'd have had to try to sleep with Clay's snoring every night!" Ray said with a laugh.

"I don't snore!" Clay defended himself.

"Uh, yea ya do." Brock added.

"Like a bear! Make that sound to much back where I come from and you'd be sleeping in the barn!" Sonny said, causing a round of laughter.

"So I'd have been sleeping in your bed? That was where you were raised, wasn't it?" Clay said with a smirk.

"Oooooooohhh the kids got jokes!" Jason said as he high-fived Clay. The team laughed and Ray punched Sonny lightly on the arm, waiting for a response. The man tried to look offended as he shook his head.

"Very funny kid." He answered, at a loss for his own witty comment. Soon after, the team headed out of the tack room towards the meeting to hear about their next mission.


	5. Chapter 5

Memory Lane

"Bravo one to Top how far is our ex-fil?" Clay heard Jason ask through the radio as the team made their way over a rocky mountain path. It wasn't to much of a decline, but just steep enough to be dangerous. They moved as carefully as they could, watching each step while also keeping an eye on the hills above them for any potential enemies.

"Exfil is waiting for us at the bottom of the hill." Jason said, relaying the message.

"How come they couldn't meet us at the top? Isn't that why they have the damn helicopters?!" Sonny yelled from the back.

"Satellite showed hostiles up top. They didn't want to risk it!" Jason answered.

"So they'd rather risk us falling and cracking our skulls open on these rocks?! Great!" Sonny retorted.

"Relax, we'll be fine." Jason said. Naturally, that's when things went wrong. Bullets started to hit the rocks around their feet, and all hell broke loose. The men each seemed to fire into the hills in a different direction, trying to find the source of the bullets.

"Top! We're taking heavy fire! Where are these bullets coming from?" Jason yelled over the noise into the comms.

"Bravo one, you've got forces all around you. You gotta get out of there as fast as possible!" Davis said as she looked at the image on the computer in front of her. Clay continued to fire and make his way down the hill towards a rock form that would give them some cover. They were almost there when Clay stepped for the next bolder, but his foot only caught the side of it. His knee twisted sideways, and a surge of pain went through it. He habitually grabbed it as he hit the ground. He didn't have to think long to figure out what had happened to cause the pain in the side of his knee. As he laid in the Afghan dirt clutching his leg, his mind took him back to years ago when he was in this same position, except he had been laying on turf.

"Spencer!" Ray yelled when he saw the young soldier fall. The shots continued to ring out, so instead of waiting for Clay to move or to find out if he could, he grabbed a strap of his tack vest and pulled him behind the rock for cover.

"What's going on back there? Everyone alright?" Jason asked over his shoulder.

"I'm fine. I just aggravated an old football injury. It's nothing!" Clay said, pulling himself up against the rock.

"Don't scare me like that kid! I'm to old for that!" Ray yelled over the gun fight.

"Bravo team be advised you'll be getting some assistance any minute now. Head to ex-fil." Commander Blackburn said.

"Affirmative! We're on the move!" Jason said. They looked up seconds later to see a small fighter jet roaring towards them. A gun dropped out of the bottom and turned the surrounding hills into Swiss cheese. Jason motioned, and the team started moving towards the helicopter. Clay pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the protests his left knee made at movement and weight, and followed his team.

Once they were back on the chopper, Jason caught Clay massaging and stretching his knee more than usual.

"You sure your good?" He asked.

"I just twisted it. It's nothing." Clay said again. Jason knew how pesky knee pain could be and didn't quite believe the kids answer, but decided to let it go anyway.

 **Later…**

Clay rolled over in his bunk, and looked at the time on his watch. The team was still stuck in Kabul, as their mission hadn't quite finished yet. They had yet to capture Ali Rasani, and Commander had made it very clear that they weren't leaving the country if Rasani wasn't on the plane. That left them in the cabin of a naval aircraft carrier, waiting for the word that they could approach their target. He tried to go back to sleep when he saw that the time said 5:45am. He listened to the sound of the ocean hitting the side of the boat, and thought about how much he wanted to take Stella sailing. He then immediately started planning the trip in his mind.

/

"Everyone up and at 'em! There's breakfast in the mess hall!" Davis yelled, throwing open the door to their cabin. Cerberus sprinted into the cabin and jumped onto Brock's bed. He was the first one up with everyone else following closely behind. A grunt of pain escaped Clay as he stood up from his bed, and he rubbed his knee in an effort to ease it. Jason raised an eyebrow at him, but Clay ignored it and turned to leave the room and head to breakfast. He tried his best to disguise the limp, but he could feel the eyes on him.

/

The throbbing pain in his knee never left the back of Clay's mind as they spent the morning getting their gear ready for the mission. They had received Intel that Rasani was hiding out on his massive boat. They would be in full scuba gear, split into pairs so they could approach from all angles, and hopefully use the element of surprise on the target. Once they had him, their ex-fil would come and pick them up.

"I hate the ocean." Sonny said, cleaning his mask.

"I thought you hated the jungle?" Trent asked.

"I do, but the ocean is worse. I read that there's over a thousand species of critters living in the ocean that we haven't even discovered yet. That's a thousand more ways to die!" Sonny said, making everyone roll their eyes and smile.

"Sharks can smell fear you know. Your not scared, are you?" Ray said, winking at him. Clay laughed, and stood up to grab his extra ammo on the other table. He felt Jason studying him, and could tell his limp was pretty evident.

"Your knee still giving you issues?" Jason asked.

"It's just sore. It's nothing." Clay said, deflecting.

"That's the sixth time you've said that today. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to cover something up." Ray said, tilting his head with a questioning look.

"Your gonna be with me, and I need you in full working order. Go see the doc on board before we leave." Jason said, concerned for the stubborn soldier.

"It's nothing major, I just twisted it. I just aggravated an old injury from high school." Clay protested.

"I don't care. At least have him tape it. We leave in an hour, so that means you've got 30 minutes. Either you get it fixed somehow, or you stay behind." Jason said. Clay sighed, looking at the stern look in Jason's eyes, and knew he wouldn't be getting out of it. He nodded, and made his way to the ships infirmary.

 **Later…**

"Everyone ready?" Jason asked. When he got the nod from each member, they hooked on their masks and fell backwards over the side of the raft and into the water. Once in the water, the switched on their lasers to see where they were going, and swam towards their target.

When they saw the bottom of the boat, they stopped, and each pair lifted their heads slowly out of the water and ensured that this was their target.

"Team one in position." Jason said, looking over at Clay.

"Team two in position." Ray answered.

"Team three in position." Trent added.

"Alright. Let's move." Jason said. Each leader threw their ladder over the side of the boat and swiftly climbed onto the boat, guns at the ready. Once everyone was on board, they screwed the silencers onto their guns and made their way across the large ship. Sonny and Ray headed down the steps below deck to search for the target, Trent and Brock searched the deck and cabins, leaving Clay and Jason to search the control room.

They moved up the stairs carefully, taking out two guards along the way. They ducked in and out of the rooms, clearing each one.

"Bravo one this is Bravo two. No signs of the target below deck. We're heading back up. Three tangos down." Ray said.

"Affirmative Bravo two." Jason answered. Clay continued to move forward.

"Bravo four to Bravo one, no signs of the target in the cabin. Six tangos down." Brock said.

"Copy Bravo four. Guess that leaves us." Jason said. They moved further along when Clay suddenly caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The man turned and made eye contact with Clay before running down the hall.

"I got eyes! He's going down the hall!" Clay said to Jason who was a few feet in front of him. Before he could say anything, Clay took off after the target, a little slower than he would like, because of the knee issues. As he caught up to him, he watched Rasani duck into one of the rooms. He followed, carefully opening the door and going in barrel first. He pulled his goggles down and searched the room. When he didn't find anything, he moved on. Then he saw the man again and took off on a foot chase through the winding maze of the boat.

After five continuous minutes of running, he finally caught up with the target and ran towards him. Before he knew what was happening, the man grabbed a golf club from a nearby shelf and swung it as hard as he could at Clay, connecting solidly with the area of Clay's side that the vest didn't cover. Clay collapsed to the ground in pain, and cursed to himself as Rasani started to run off. Just when he thought he would get away, Jason rounded the corner and stuck the barrel of his gun in the man's face. He quickly cuffed him and came to check on Clay.

"What happened? You alright?" Jason asked.

"He got a jump on me." Clay answered. He pushed himself to his feet with a hand tightly on his side. He tried to take a step when the aching returned to his bad knee. It gave out and he started to fall, but Jason caught him and threw an arm over his shoulder to support him. He was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed the crowbar on the floor, and put it together.

"Bravo one to two and four, what is your status?" Jason asked.

"Bravo one, we're headed your way. Do you have the target?" Ray asked.

"Affirmative." Hayes replied.

Minutes later, the rest of the team showed up, and Ray slid a hood over Rasani's face before he could see their faces. Sonny looked over at Clay who was holding his knee once again.

"What happened to you?" He asked.

"I just chased that lunatic across the whole second deck! Who takes golf clubs on their ship?! Clay said angrily.

"One that doesn't plan on coming back." Ray said, offering Clay a hand. When the younger man took it, Ray pulled his arm over his shoulder.

"Top to Bravo one you ex-fil is waiting for you." Commander Blackburn said.

"Copy that top. We're on the move." Jason said. Clay tried to ignore the pain as he limped his way towards the main deck.

 **Later…**

"Looks like you were right. There's no major structural damage, but the meniscus that tore years ago is inflamed. You need to take it easy for a few weeks, stay off of it. I'll give you a brace to keep it stable." Dr. Casey said, looking at the MRI.

"Sounds good. Thanks doc!" Clay said, breathing a small sigh of relief. He thought for sure he had torn something, and would be out for months. He remembered how much he hated that after he got shot, and nearly drove himself crazy. He reluctantly compromised to one crutch after fighting with the doc about taking them at all, and left.

He made his way out into the waiting room where he found Stella standing there, nervously tapping her foot. When she saw him, she ran towards him and wrapped him in a hug. The force sent a sting of pain through his ribs. He winced, and tensed everything up.

"Watch the ribs." He said lightly. She immediately backed up.

"I'm sorry! Are they broken? Did I hurt you?" she asked worriedly. He pulled her around to his good side and kissed her cheek.

"It's ok. I'm ok. Their just cracked, no big deal." He answered.

"And the knee? Is it from that time you fell through the floor?" she asked.

"No, I just aggravated an old football injury. Doc said I need to stay off it for a little." He replied.

"Perfect! Our road trip to your old high schools veterans day parade will be just the right time!" She said, ushering him out the door.

"My what? You signed me up for that?" he asked, surprised and confused about how she even knew about her hometowns annual parade.

"Yea! One of your old friends messaged me on Facebook and invited us! They have a float for you to ride on and everything! Surprise!" Stella said excitedly. He pursed his lips in thought. He had gone to this parade every year as a kid, and watched his dad. That made him hate it. He had been so ready to get out of his little town, and hadn't been back since. He wasn't quite sure how he should feel. He couldn't be mad at her, because he knew she just wanted to make him happy, and she really didn't know that much about his hometown. _This should be interesting….._ He thought as they walked towards the car.

 **One road trip later...**

Clay drove down the old town road, smiling as the memories flooded into his mind. He thought he would hate being back here, but it was turning out to not be so bad. The smell, the feel of the gravel under his tires, it was all the same. As he turned into the parking lot and turned his truck off, he sat for a moment, letting himself reminisce. Then they finally got out and made their way through the front doors of his old high school where the parade would start. He walked through the halls, the memories of running through them with his friends as a wide eyed freshman, all the way to his cocky senior self, complete with the varsity football jacket and the girlfriend clinging to his arm. With that thought, he squeezed Stella's hand a little tighter. He shook his head when he thought about how stuck up he used to be. The Navy wasted no time in beating that trait out of him. He turned a corner, and found his destination. His smile grew as he turned the handle and walked through the door to the classroom.

"Everybody sit down, shut up, and stop being a pain in my ass." Clay said in his best gruff voice. The man turned around at the sound and a shocked look was quickly replaced with a smile.

"Clay Spencer. The original pain in my ass has returned! How the heck are you?" Mr. Matts said, turning around. They shook hands and hugged. This man was after all one of the few reasons Clay had graduated.

"I'm doing good, you know, can't complain. You? This is my girlfriend Stella, by the way. Stella, this is Mr. Matts. He had the pleasure of being my English teacher all four years of high school. I hated english." Clay said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you!" Stella said.

"The pleasure is all mine! Just the same old same old around here. You came at just the right time, it's my planning period. So I talked to your dad a while back. He said you in the Navy now? A SEAL?" He continued, looking at Clay's clothes. Clay rolled his eyes at his teachers comment towards Stella, and the wink of approval he got.

"Sorry you had to do that. But yea, I just recently completed training, and I am now a Tier-1 operator." Clay answered.

"Wow. That's awesome. I knew you were bound for something important." He said.

"I don't see how you could tell. I was a mess!" Clay said, looking towards his old seat in the back corner by the window.

"Wow. So this is what I had to do to get him to admit he's a handful!" Stella joked.

"You don't even know the half of it sweetheart! The Navy straightened him out for sure!" Mr. Matts said.

"So, are on leave? I doubt your visiting your dad, so what brought you to these parts?" Kevin asked.

"I guess you could say that. I was invited back for the Veterans Day parade. We've got a few more hours till it starts, so I figured I'd come say hi!" He said.

"Good. Hopefully you meet some of my kids. I've got a few kids this year that could probably use the military. They remind me of you!" He said.

"So I guess you never could get rid of me!" he said with a laugh.

"There's always one." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Yea. Well I better go find out where I'm supposed to be. It's great to see you again. Thanks for everything you did for me. I don't where I'd be." Clay said, sticking his hand out. Kevin shook it again and gave him a smile.

"Couldn't help it. Like I said, I saw something in you. Don't be a stranger, come visit this old man again!" Kevin said.

"I'll be in town for about two days. Give me a call and we'll make a time to catch up more." Clay said.

"I look forward to it!" he answered.

 **Later…**

Clay stepped out of the car and tanked the driver, then held a hand out for Stella, who took it after giving him a "I am a perfectly capable woman" look. He laughed, and pulled her into a hug. The parade had quite literally been a trip down memory lane. The procession drove past his old house, where he was born, past the tree his favorite dog was buried under. Past his church with the stuffy pews that probably still smelled like hair gel and his mother's perfume. Next to it was the graveyard where she was buried with his grandparents. Past the field he played countless games of baseball with his friends, and the swimming pool they used to go. It was like his entire childhood returned to him in just a short, slow car ride. And all the while, Stella thought how she would give anything just to read his mind, to hear his thoughts in those moments. Now, they were walking through the crowd, shaking hands and being introduced to just about everyone the passed. They eventually made it out of the crowd and towards the truck, and headed to the picnic at the town park.

Clay finally found a moment to himself and was walking back to his truck for another folding chair when heavy footsteps behind him startled him. He quickly turned around.

"At ease soldier!" the voice said.

"Coach Tyler! You can't sneak up on someone like that!" Clay said, recognizing the man.

"Especially not an armed one I guess!" he said, and Clay followed his eyes down to where his hand was resting on the handle of the pistol in his hip holster.

"Sorry. My line of work, if that's not your first reaction, it's probably the other guys, and that never ends well!" Clay said with a laugh.

"Makes sense. So how've you been? You really made it through navy training huh?" he said as they turned to walk back together.

"Yea, yea it's been good. I just recently got the title of a Tier-1 operator. My girlfriend signed me up to be in this parade. I see nothing's really changed around here." He said after hey shook hands.

"No, not much has changed. So where's your dad these days?" Ryan Tyler asked.

"Couldn't tell ya." Clay answered shortly.

"Oh. We've got a pretty great team this season. Could go to states! Hasn't been done since your year." Ryan said, quickly changing the subject.

"Really? Wow. Good luck! If you make it, let me know, I'll see if I can get out here again." He said with excitement. They were walking across the grass when he accidentally stepped in a small hole and jostled his knee slightly. He dropped a hand to it, and grimaced slightly.

"You alright?" Coach Tyler asked and stopped beside him.

"Yea. You remember that time I tore my meniscus senior year?" he said.

"Of course. You thought the world was ending because you couldn't play for a few weeks!" he said, bringing the flashbacks of the game that night, and the nasty hit that pushed his knee in a way it wasn't made to bend. Then hours later in the ER trying to convince his dad he was fine.

"I tweaked it last weekend in Kabul. Brought back a lot of memories from around here!" Clay said, limping a little heavier as the two walked back into the crowd.

"It's crazy to think about how quickly you guys get from one place to the next. Only a few days ago, you were that far away!" he marveled.

"Yea it is. I really thought I would hate it, but coming back here has been... amazing." Clay said slowly. Coach smiled, and patted him on the back.

"Your always welcome around here." He said, then the two were lost in a sea of questions and greetings. Clay smiled to himself, and decided he would make a point to come back here at least a little more often from now on.

/

 **Hey guys, just a few things! Thanks for all the reviews for one, and all the requests, keep them coming! I really want to do a chapter or so about Ray or Sonny, but don't really have any ideas for them. If you have any, please let me know! Also, as far as the story goes, I don't thi k it said for a fact that Clays mom died, but I assumed. This is kind of a random chapter, but I really wanted to explore more of Clays childhood and background. Also, I just remembered that Cerberus is Dita's name on the show, so I needed that up in the last chapter. Hopefully everyone got what I was talking About! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6- Brothers

**Brothers**

 **This story will be a multi-chapter following the same premise. Bravo team is on a mission when they are caught in a firefight, and in a matter of seconds, things go from bad to worse, and throwing them headlong into the fight for their lives.**

Chapter 1: Just another mission- until it isn't.

It was a fairly normal Saturday afternoon on the base. Bravo team was lounging outside, waiting to be told they were needed somewhere, but enjoying their time off, even if it might only be for a few hours. Sonny picked up the tennis ball and threw it for Cerberus, watching him sprint after it, and bring it back in short order.

"Why do dogs like chasing balls so much?" he asked out loud to no one in particular.

"Oh no, Sonny's thinking again." Ray said, making everyone laugh.

"But like, have you ever thought about it before? Like what's so fascinating about it? You run back and forth over and over again." He continued.

"Ya know, I can't say I've spent to much time on that one." Brock said with a laugh.

"Do they think that we want it, but can't hold onto it? They just bring it back every time." He said, earning an eye roll from Davis.

"I'm pretty sure they're smarter than that." she said.

"And maybe even smarter than you." Clay said with a smirk, and ducked out of the way of the tennis ball that was launched at his head.

"So Clay, how goes it with the professor? Did she stick around?" Jason asked

"Yea. She's stressed out right now with grading finals and everything, but she's ok otherwise." Clay answered.

"So are you gonna marry her?" Trent asked. Clay paused, taken aback. He didn't know that the whole team knew about that.

"You guys know?" he asked.

"Come on man, word travels fast around here. Especially when your the new guy." Brock answered with a laugh.

"So are you?" Jason asked, now curious.

"Uh...well…" Clay stuttered.

"Bravo Team, we've got mission, look alive!" Mandy said, coming towards the group.

"Looks like you got lucky this time Spence!" Sonny said, jumping out of his chair. Clay rolled his eyes, then filed in behind them.

 **Later…**

"This is your target building. We have received credible intel from multiple sources that a computer that was stolen from an American safe house is here. It's military grade, so it'll be able to withstand just about anything. This building is currently occupied by a small group of insurgents." Ellis explained.

"You will be dropped in from a helicopter, clear the roof and then work your way down. We can't get a vehicle into this region without starting an international incident, so once you have the laptop, the helicopter will be waiting for you." Commander Blackburn said.

"Do we get to know what's on this laptop?" Jason asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer he would get.

"All I can tell you is that the information on it is a matter of national security, so we have to get it back as soon as possible." Ellis said, Jason nodding. Everyone had gotten this answer before, and they all knew what it meant. Don't ask, don't tell.

"I'm sure they've opened the laptop by now. How do we know they don't already have the information? Is it encrypted?" Clay asked.

"Heavily, actually. It would take their best hacker at least four days to get into it." Ellis said.

"Must be serious then." Sonny said.

"It is. If we wait to long, and they get that laptop open, you guys will be on deployment for a lot longer than you are now." Mandy said, the seriousness of the mission setting in. Her words could mean only one thing. If those men got whatever was on the laptop, it would start a war.

 **Later…**

"Bravo one to Top, the top floors are clear. We're heading down to the ground level." Jason said. He grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open for his men to file in, then followed from behind. Clay took down two insurgents standing down the hall, and they continued, letting Jason pass to lead them once again. They rounded a corner and spotted a room with five guards armed with Ak's standing outside. Jason held a fist up, motioning for everyone to hold so they wouldn't be seen.

"Bravo one to Top. We're about a foot away from a room that's got about six guards outside it. I'm assuming this is where they have the laptop?" Jason asked. Davis rolled her chair to a screen that showed the heat signatures of the building the team was in.

"That is correct Bravo one, you are cleared to proceed." she replied. Jason signaled to his men turned the corner quietly and took out all six guards. Trent placed a block of c4 on the door. Once it was blown, the team expertly made their way into the room, and neutralized the enemies.

"Bravo one to Top, we have the package." Jason said. Davis looked over at Ellis, who nodded happily. The two gave the commander a confused look when he cursed under his breath.

"Bravo one be advised, you've got company. Insurgents have the building surrounded. Something tipped them off." Blackburn said when he looked at the satellite image in front of him.

"How many?" Jason asked, looking around at his men. They didn't have to ask to know what the conversation was about. They were in trouble.

"I count at least 20. Their armed to the teeth." Blackburn said.

"Alright. Is exfil ready for us?" He asked.

"There about two minutes out." Blackburn said, feeling the tension rise in the room. Jason felt the urgency of the situation, and knew that it was now up to him to get his men to safety. That just got a lot harder.

"Everybody move to exfil now. When we get up there stay low. They've got us surrounded." Jason said to the team.

"How long till exfil?" Ray asked. As soon as he said it, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Panic settled in when he watched a small round object fly through the window right in between Clay and Jason.

"GRENADE!" He yelled. Time seemed to slow down as the blast went of, and Ray felt himself lifted off the ground and thrown backwards.

Fierce pain filled his abdomen as he was slammed into the wall and then onto the ground, thrown like a rag doll. His scream of pain was muffled by the sound of gunfire that quickly followed the blast. His head swam with pain and confusion, the ringing in his ears growing. He turned his head just in time to watch one of the bullets knock Trent back further from where he had pushed himself to his feet. Another found Brock, blood spraying from the wound as he fell. Ray knew he had to do something-anything, but the pain paralyzed him. Then his eye found Jason, who was lying face down just a few feet away. Ray forced himself to his knees, and crawled to his friends side. Once he found a pulse, he used his scream to help his muscles roll Jason onto his back. The movement brought the older man back to reality, and he immediately grabbed for his chest.

"C…..can't….breath….." He croaked.

"Don't…..try to talk. Just...stay with me!" Ray said, holding his hand. Jason squeezed back as a reply. Ray saw the look in his eye, and knew what he was thinking right away. He looked around the room, searching for the rest of the team. Fear took over him when he saw two other teammates. Sonny laid just a few feet away, motionless, with blood pooling under his head. Jason's eyes followed his, and he saw horror grip him. Ray crawled his way over to the man, ducking as more bullets whizzed in past his head. The pulse he found was normal, yet Sonny hadn't moved an inch. He tried to wake him, but it was no use. He needed a hospital.

"He's alive!" Ray yelled, hoping Jason would hear him. He nodded. Ray was about to move back when he saw a glimpse of a glove sticking out from under a pile of rubble, knocked loose by the blast. He quickly made his way over, putting together in his head who it had to be.

"Spencer! Can you hear me?!" Ray yelled. He could see the young soldiers face, covered in blood and dust, his goggles snapped off of the helmet. Ray quickly saw the problem. There was a large slab of concrete on top of him, likely from the roof that had fallen in. Ray stood there, agonizing on how he would get the young man out, when suddenly Cerberus limped over. Ray looked at the dog, and it was as if they had come to an understanding. He lifted the slab as high as he could, and Cerberus grabbed a mouth full of Clay's shoulder, his teeth getting mostly vest. He pulled with all his strength, painstakingly dragging the unconscious man out from under the pile. Ray praised the dog heavily, then turned to his comrade. The pulse was weak and slow, but it was there. Then Ray saw a bigger problem. There was a piece of rebar sticking out through Clay's chest, likely through his lung. Ray sat back on his heels, looking around the room at his men. At the moment, he was the only one conscious, and he had no idea what to do.

 **Back at base…**

"Top to Bravo one, do you copy?!" Commander Blackburn yelled. No answer.

"Top to Bravo two, come in!" Nothing but static.

"Anyone from Bravo team respond!" He yelled, fear and anguish threatening to take over. The three members of Top had watched and listened as the grenade detonated inside the building, occupied by their team.

"Sergeant, do we have choppers in the air?" Blackburn asked.

"Sir...it's to risky. Our orders were not to send in choppers unless we want to start…" the man said, but was swiftly cut off.

"I know damn well what could happen, but I will not leave my men out there alone to die! We already lost one team, and we will **not** lose another!" Blackburn yelled, everyone in the room stopping.

"All due respect sir, we don't even know that their alive." Ellis said. Blackburn closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face, not wanting to entertain that thought. Just when he was about to answer, the comms crackled.

"Top…..do you copy?" Ray's voice called through the radio. The team nearly screamed with joy.

"Loud and clear Bravo two! What is your status?" Commander asked.

"We're stuck in here. The enemy is still returning fire. We need help. Its…...its bad." Ray said. The team knew that without him saying it, just by the sound of his voice. It wasn't strong and sure as usual, but wavering, and worried.

"Hold tight, we've got choppers headed your way. How are the rest of the men?" Blackburn asked, scared for the answer.

"Alive. For now."


	7. Chapter 7- Brothers

Chapter 2- Hold on

Ray heard the sound of heavy artillery gunfire overhead, and knew that was their ex-fil. He pressed a hand to his stomach, the pain replacing the adrenalin he had moments ago. He instinctively reached for his weapon when he saw men make their way into the room. He let it fall from his hands when he saw the American flag on their chests. A medic came to his side.

"Your gonna be just fine sir. My name is Tyrell, I'm gonna take care of you. Does anything hurt other than your side?" he asked, looking Ray over.

"Spencer….he….he needs…...help." Ray stammered through the pain.

"We have other medics taking care of them don't worry. Let's focus on you right now, ok?" the medic said. Ray nodded, and held as still as he could while the man carefully unstrapped his vest, and shined his light on his stomach. He watched his face twist, then look closer at the spot. Ray watched as the rest of the team was being loaded onto basket stretchers, and carried up towards the roof. The medic called for one for him.

"We don't have any left." The soldier said.

"I guess we'll have to improvise." Ty said. He called for another soldier, and the two of the carefully lifted Ray to his feet, and carried him up the stairs behind his team to the waiting choppers.

/

"Stay calm sir, your gonna be ok." One of the other medics said when Trent started to wake up, and tried to pull the oxygen mask from his face. Ray tried to lift his head to check on his brother, but stopped when a pounding pain started behind his eyes. There were three men on each chopper, this one occupied by who they thought were less critical: Brock, Trent, and Ray.

"How far are we from base? He's lost to much blood!" Asked the medic who was treating Brock. The pilots reply was muffled by the sound of turbulence pushing against the doors. The movement shook the plane slightly, but just enough to jostle Ray, sending a new bolt of pain through his abdomen. The faces above him started to melt together, melting into that of Naima and his young son, the sounds fading out as he slipped into the blackness. The monitor he was hooked to screamed, his breath was no longer fogging the mask.

"He flatlining! Starting compressions!" Tyrell yelled, pressing his hands to Ray's chest. When his patient gave no response, he grabbed the paddles and positioned them on his battered chest. One shock, nothing. Two, nothing. Three, nothing.

"Come one soldier!" Ty yelled, then tried once more. He released a breath when the monitor finally began to beep normally.

 **/**

Blackburn and Davis ran out to meet the choppers as they touched down on the helipad. They watched as each soldier was unloaded one by one, and rushed towards the base hospital. The shocked fell over the two like a blanket when they saw the severity of their team. Jason already had a chest tube in, followed by Clay who was being kept alive by the tube down his throat, leading to a bag inflating his only good lung. Sonny was strapped tightly to the stretcher with a c-collar holding his neck straight, and a medic holding tightly to the sides of his head. Ray came next, multiple bloody towels surrounding him on the stretcher. Closely behind him came Brock and Trent, the two men littered with bullet holes.

"Is it as bad as it looks?" Ellis asked when the two returned, and handed her the backpack soaked in blood.

"Worse. Their headed to surgery. All of them." Blackburn said.

 **/**

"Male, 30, multiple lacerations to the face and chest, broken shoulder blade, rebar through the anterior flank of the right lung. Unconscious at the scene, hasn't regained." The medic said as he pushed Clay's stretcher into the ED room. Dr. Madison looked up just in time to see Clay's chin buck upwards as he fought against the tube, and blood ran out of the side of his mouth when he coughed. The monitors sounded the warning signals, getting her attention.

"He's choking! Get the tube out!" She yelled to the nurse nearby.

"On what?!" the nurse asked frantically.

"The lung collapsed. His esophagus is filling with the fluids from his chest. He needs an OR STAT!" Dr. Madison said, looking at Nurse Sam, who said the last line at the same time, pushing Trent towards an operating room to dig out the multiple bullets that were lodged in him.

"Get me the drill! He's got a subdural hematoma, I need drain the fluids!" The doctor that had gotten Sonny pushed into his section of the ED. The man drilled the small hole into the side on Sonny's skull, and quickly grabbed a bin to keep the area clean.

"C….Cl...clay? H…...ow…...my….t…..tea…..m?" Dr. Zavala looked up towards the sound of her patient trying to speak.

"Master Chief Hayes, stay calm. There was an explosion, and your in the base hospital. We're taking good care of your team, don't worry." She said, seeing the panic in his patients eyes. Once Jason started to become more aware of his surroundings, he settled down a bit more.

"Alright, chest x-ray shows a ruptured spleen. Looks like he's got some shrapnel in there to. We gotta get it out before it gets into his bloodstream." Doctor said, the sound of her voice interrupted by that of another Trauma surgeon, one just across the ED.

"Dammit! Where's the scope, I need to intubate!" Dr. Black said. After he was handed it, he tilted Brocks chin up to get a clear look at the man's quickly closing throat.

"The bullet moved again! We need to get in there **now**! If it moves one more inch, it'll hit his spinal cord! Let's go, let's go!" Black said, and pushed the sides up on the gurney.

"How I'd there this many critical at one time?!" a nurse asked as she watched the fifth member of Bravo team was rushed towards their already crowded operating rooms.

"Looks like he's not far behind! Didn't want to be left out, did you?" Tyrell said. He had stuck around seeing how swamped the hospital had gotten, and didn't want any of them to be without care.

"He's got a blood clot in his leg. Let's go boys!" Ty said as he followed the line of Bravo team, shaking his head.

 **Two days later, Stateside…**

Naima walked around the living room holding the baby, trying to get him to sleep. She flipped on the tv to occupy her mind, then looked at him. She couldn't deny how much he already looked like his dad. His dad, who was thousands of miles away right now. She kissed his forehead and laid him down in his crib. She walked back out into the living room and sat on the couch, about to change the channel when suddenly the breaking news gripped her. Once she shook herself out of the initial shock, she grabbed her phone, and dialed the number in her contacts.

"Hey Naima." Alana answered.

"Turn on channel five." She said flatly.

"Uh...ok?" Alana replied, confused.

"Oh my god….." She said, looking closer and rereading the words in the bright red header across the bottom of the screen.

" _Breaking News: Deadly explosion involving the Navy SEAL Team Bravo in Afghanistan could spark an international crisis."_

"Call everyone. Savannah, Jessie, Stella, get everyone over here." Naima said frantically. She knew that normally when stuff like this happened, the wives and families were supposed to stay at their home in case, god forbid, a notification needed to be made, but she knew that she couldn't handle being alone. Not when she had just heard that news.

"Of course. I'll be over in ten." Alana said, hanging up, putting her head in her hands. _This can't be true. Not now._

 **Hey guys, thanks for all the awesome reviews! Sorry to leave you on another cliffhanger….it just worked so well, I couldn't help myself! Anyways, Brock and Trent's lives haven't been talked about much, so I'll be filling in my own details! Savannah will be Trent's wife, Jessie will be Brock's girlfriend. I don't think we've gotten a last name for either of them, but if I missed it and anyone know what it is, please let me know so I can use it! I'll be updating soon hopefully! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8- Brothers

Chapter 3- Their Alive

 **The events of the two days after the explosion.**

Commander looked around the table at the men surrounding him. They were all in there cleanest uniforms, complete with the pins they had earned over their years of service. At the head of the table sat the head General on the base.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I brought you here. Today, we received intel that the group that stole the laptop retrieved by Bravo Team somehow got information off of it." General Johnson said, a dark shadow fell over the room with the words.

"It was encrypted. How'd they get in? I thought it was near impossible!" One of the men said with confusion.

"We thought so to, but somehow they got around it. They've been doing bomb tests in the desert right here." He said, pointing to the map on the screen.

"Ok. So where do we go from here? We can engage, right? If they have the specs and blueprints for bombs, we have to find where their keeping the plans, and destroy it." Another Sergeant said.

"Unfortunately, we cannot proceed at this time. The higher ups think it's to risky." He replied, with a look on his face as if he knew the responses that were coming.

"What do you mean we can't proceed?! Six men will be in the ICU for the next week, maybe even longer, and were nearly killed by this group! One had to be revived on the ride back, and two more during surgery!" Commander Blackburn said, his voice getting louder with each word.

"And those choppers nearly started a war! With a country we just made peace with, nonetheless!" General answered sharply.

"Would you have preferred me to leave them to die?! What happened to no man left behind?!" Blackburn said, anger filling him.

"That's not what I said Commander. Have you considered that your men could've found their way to safety on their own?" Johnson said. Blackburn fought to control himself at those words. _Is he clueless?!_

"You don't know anything about the mission, do you?! They all had major internal injuries! One of the men took a bullet to the pelvis. Another had a fractured skull, one was shot twice with armor piercing bullets, and another had a piece of rebar _through his chest!_ Tell me General, how do you think my team would've gotten out in that condition?!" He responded, the veins in his neck popping out. The room went silent at the words, finally actually taking the time to let the severity of the situation of Bravo team.

"I understand that you want justice, but…" the General started to say, but Commander cut him off with the sound of his chair flying backwards with the speed at which he stood up.

"I don't think you do! You'll have to excuse me, I need to go see how my team is." He said, hastily making his exit.

 **/**

He walked into the Intensive Care Wing of the base hospital. When he walked into the large room that Bravo team was sharing, split into sections by curtains around each bed. He looked to see Davis standing in the corner.

"How are they?" he asked, standing next to her.

"No change. How'd it go with the General? Can we go after these maniacs?" she asked.

"Let's just say I didn't exactly leave the meeting on good terms. The higher ups told us we can't do anything without starting a war." He said. He sighed and looked around at all the monitors and wires attached to his team. The two most serious were closest to the door, in case anything happened. The Commanders eyes moved to Clay and the odd shape of the tube that kept him connected to the ventilator. He studied the machine as if to ensure that it was doing it's job, even though he knew next to nothing about it worked.

"The kids got so much going for him. I just really hope this doesn't end him before his time." Commander said.

"The doctor said he's mostly out of the woods. They all are. Now they just have to wake up. Sonny will probably be the last one to come around." Ellis said as she walked in, and overheard the conversation. With that, their eyes went to the large bandage that was covering most of Sonny's head. They stood quietly, watching his breath fogging the mask, when a loud noise grabbed their attention. It was coming from the monitors near Jason's bed. When they looked at him, they watched as he started to convulse. They didn't have to think about what was going on, and each grabbed a limb to try to hold him still.

"Doctor! I need a doctor in here!" Mandy yelled, opening the door. Dr. Zavala ran in as fast as she could at the urgency.

"He's having a seizure. There's a needle of adovane in there, grab it for me!" She said, and Davis quickly yanked the drawer open and handed her the needle while fighting to hold Jason's thrashing arms down to keep him from hurting anything more. She shoved the medication into his vein. They waited a moment, expecting him to stop, but he didn't.

"Grab another syringe!" Dr. Zavala said. Then suddenly, the sound of the heart monitor filled their ears.

"He's crashing! Start CPR!" the doctor yelled, and Blackburn immediately followed her directions. Dr. Zavala hastily pulled the nasal cannula out of his nose and replaced it with a mask, then pushed the second needle into his arm. The seizure finally stopped, and his heart was following suit.

"Come on Hayes! Come on!" Blackburn yelled, pushing his frustration and fear into the compressions. Finally, he responded.

"Hey. Hey! You can stop. He's back!" Davis said, putting a hand on the Commanders arm. He sighed, and stepped down from where he had been kneeling on the gurney, and quickly exited the room to head towards his cabin. As he laid onto his bed, he rubbed a hand over his face.

 **Later…**

Brock slowly opened his eyes, fear immediately gripping him when the surroundings looked unfamiliar. He heard noises around him, but couldn't move to figure out what they were. Where is everyone? Are they….? I have to find them! He thought, forcing himself to sit up. A shadowy figure came towards him and began talking, but he didn't recognize the voice, making him panic even more. He thrashed wildly when a hand reached towards him.  
"Let's sedate him!" a nurse said, grabbing his wrist. She was just about to stick a needle into his IV when Commander Blackburn walked through the door.  
"No, wait! He's the first one to wake up. I need to talk to him!" he said. The nurse looked to her superior, who nodded that it was ok. She then backed up, and gave them the room. Brocks vision finally cleared, and he began to calm down. His entire body ached, and he groaned as he laid back against the pillow.  
"Take it easy. Your in the base hospital, and your gonna be fine. Do you remember what happened?" Blackburn asked.  
"There was a grenade...then bullets. My vest didn't stop them….everything hurt…. Jason and Clay took the brunt of the blast." Brock said with a sigh.  
"They had armor piercing bullets." Blackburn answered.

"Cerberus! Is he….?" Brock asked slowly. He remembered standing up after the explosion and seeing the dog lying on the ground. He had tried to get to him, but had gotten shot before he could.

"He's ok, just a few cuts and burns. He took one to the vest, but luckily it caught it. He'll be sore for a while, and definitely need some time off, but he'll be a lot happier once he's back with you. In fact, they had to sedate him just to clean his wounds. He wouldn't let anyone touch him. Kept looking for you." Blackburn said, remembering the fight the dog had put up.

"Where is he?" Brock asked.

"Right outside. When I heard you were waking up, I figured you'd want to see him." He said, motioning to the handler waiting outside. Cerberus usually would've sprinted in and jumped up enthusiastically, but it was as if he knew that he had to be gentle. Instead, he whined a joyous whine all the way over until he was lifted onto the bed. He licked Brock all over, shaking from happiness.

"Hi boy! Hey bubba, it's ok, I'm fine." He said, rubbing his ears and chest. Cerberus finally laid down, and put his head on Brocks lap. He would stay at this exact spot for the next few days.

"The team?" Brock asked cautiously, watching Blackburn sigh, and fearing the worst.

"Everyone's stable. You and Trent were the only two with bullet wounds, probably because you didn't go down initially. The one that got you was dangerously close to your spinal cord. Luckily, the bullet came from a high enough angle it only got your appendix. It did burst, but Doc said they think they got all the toxins out. The other one hit your leg, but only grazed the bone. You've all got some pretty nasty burns and more stitches than I can count." Commander said, pausing.

"So that's me, but that's not what I asked." Brock said. He had to know how his men, his brothers were doing, even if it meant he had to pry the info out of Blackburn. Commander gave him a look of resignation, then started with the list.

"Trent caught a few more bullets than you. We're still not sure how that's possible, but I guess it is. He took one to the shoulder, the arm, and the hip. The third got stuck in his pelvis, so the surgery took a little longer. Other than that, he's got a broken hand from the fall. Ray had damage to his small intestine and a boatload of shrapnel wounds. Jason has a ruptured spleen and kidney with a good bit of internal bleeding. Sonny hit his head so hard it cracked his helmet. His brain swelled, so they had to take a piece of his skull off to relieve some pressure. He's in an induced coma until it goes down. Last but not least, Clay. A piece of rebar collapsed his lung, some other minor intestinal lacerations and broke a few ribs. He's on a ventilator." Commander finally finished the list with a sigh. The two sat in silence, taking in the news and thinking where they go next.

"Well, I think I'll let you get some rest." Commander Blackburn said as he got up, pulling the curtain closed slowly behind him. Brock laid his head back, and couldn't help himself from worrying about his friends. It was as if Cerberus could sense his feelings, and moved his head to Brocks chest. And it was perfect that he did, as the anxiety melted away. The warm breath on his chin soon lulled him to sleep.

 **/**

"Commander." Eric stopped at the sound of his title, closing his eyes, figuring he was likely in trouble with the General.

"Look, I can't… just tell Johnson I'm not available." He said, turning around.

"That's not what I'm here about. Did one of them wake up?" Mandy asked.

"Good. And yea, Brock did. He gave us a little clearer picture. He said Jason and Clay were closest to the blast." He said.

"That's good. We've got a problem." Mandy replied, then turned the screen of her tablet towards him. He chewed on his lip as he looked at the screenshot of the news cast.

"Set up a Skype call with one of the wives or girlfriends. Whichever one answers first." He said, shaking his head thinking about how panicked the family must be because of the headlines. Mandy nodded, and walked away.

 **Days Later...**

Sonny slowly opened his eyes and looked around the pale blue of the hospital room. He groaned at the light in his eyes and the sound of a tv off in the distance. He moved his head to the side, looking over to see Bravo team in its entirety in the large room with him. Clay looked over at him, the first person to notice that he was now conscious. "Hey, look who decided to join us!" Clay said, as the rest of the eyes turned towards Sonny's bed.

"Welcome back to the land of the living!" Ray said.

"What….happened?" he asked, confused. The last thing he remembered was putting the laptop in Rays rucksack.

"Some insurgent threw a grenade into the room. You smacked your head and broke your skull open. They put you in a coma for a few days." Jason answered.

"Is….is everyone messed up?" Sonny asked, trying to piece it all together.

"Yea…" Ray gave a quick synopsis of the injuries and the details from the last few days, catching him up.

"...Doc had to take a piece of your skull off to let your brain swelling go down." Ray finished.

"Probably took him awhile to get through your thick head!" Jason said with a smirk.

"We'll just have to see how thick your skull is, huh?" Sonny joked, and Jason laughed.

"You will do nothing of the sort!" Davis said, giving him a look when he turned to see her standing in the doorway. Then she winked and smiled at him as she came in.

"Good to see you awake. We've been waiting for you. I'll call Blackburn, he'll be glad to hear the news." She said, happily squeezing his hand. Finally, he family was all back, and could start to mend.

 **/**

"Now that your all awake, I've got some news." Jason sighed quietly, looking around the room at his men. He had heard that time before, and knew what it meant.

"The doctors have decided that because of the number of patients coming through here daily, and because of your injuries, it would be better if you all recuperated at home with your families. It will also help to put their minds at ease in light of this news headline that was sent out." Eric said, showing them the picture.

"I told you not to trust that reporter. All they care about is a story to make front page! They don't care how much panic they cause." Jason to Mandy with a teacher voice. She nodded her response of recognition.

"Your families have been informed that you are all going to be ok. We will be leaving for the States in two days. That's the last plane out of here for the next month's because of this war, so please, don't anyone do anything stupid." Blackburn said, then exited. As much as Clay hated the thought of leaving in the middle of deployment, he focused on how much he couldn't wait to see Stella, and hold her tight. The rest of the team started to talk around him, but he zoned out, his mind taking him to his bed, Stella right there, smiling back at him. With his, he voices around him faded into murmurs, and a smile crossed his face.

 **Hi guys, me again! This chapter took a lot longer than expected, but here it is! I can't decide if I want to end the story next chapter or add a short wrap-up chapter at the end. Which would you guys prefer? Leave a review, hope you enjoyed reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 4- Homeward Bound

Stella fidgeted in her chair, and checked the clock once again. _Two more hours_ she thought _Two hours and he'll be back._ She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her laptop ringing, and quickly opened it up. A smile stretched across her face when she saw who was calling.

"Hey babe." Clay said with a smile.

"Hi! How are you feeling? Where are you?" she asked.

"Uh, somewhere over an ocean I think. Almost home, don't worry." He said.

"How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" she asked again.

"I'm ok. A little, but it's better now that I'm talking to you." He said. She smiled back.

"That's it Spencer, get those brownie points!" Ray yelled from the background. Clay looked over and rolled his eyes.

"Is it really gonna be two hole hours till I have you back?" Stella asked with a sigh.

"Actually about an hour and 45 now. Don't worry, your big strong man will be home again for a little while." He said with a smirk. "Oh please! I'll be the one pulling the weight around the house for the next few weeks! Let's be real here, you love being pampered!" I9ue Stella said.

"For sure. So what're you up to?" he asked. The couple talked for awhile longer, before hanging up to let her get back to grading.

 **One long flight later…**

"Do we really need this hospital transport thing? We can walk. Well, most of us." Clay said as they waited on the plane to be taken back to the base where their families were waiting.

"Sorry, Doctors orders." Commander said.

"Well I'm tired of sitting!" Clay said, and stood up to walk off the plane while the other followed, the only one not waiting for group. He got halfway down the ramp of the plane, and his chest suddenly felt like someone had put him in a vise grip, and was squeezing the air out of him.

"Hey Spencer, you alright?" Ray asked when they caught up to him. He noticed the pained expression on the young man's face, and how he seemed to be gasping for air. He hardly had time to react before Clay's knees buckled, and his eyes closed. Ray knew he couldn't hold Clays weight without hurting himself, so he grabbed under his shoulders and gave Sonny a pleading look. Sonny shook his head and helped guide Clay to the ground. The team tried not to crowd, but looked on with concern. Guys don't just pass out like that. The doctor from the transport truck came over immediately when he saw the situation, and started examining Clay. After a minute or two, the young man started to come around.

"Take it easy, lay back." Blackburn said, putting a hand on Clays shoulder when he tried to sit up.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You passed out. I'm not getting any red flags, you likely just overdid it. Tried to move faster than your body was ready for. You did have a collapsed lung, remember? You gotta take it slow for a while." He said. Clay sighed as he was helped back to his feet, and nodded his understanding. The group made their way to the van.

 **/**

"Daddy!" Ray's smile stretched from ear to ear when he heard his daughters voice across the room. He turned around just in time for her to leap into his lap, nearly knocking him backwards. Though it wasn't much, her weight pressed against the multitude of shrapnel wounds on his lower stomach, waist and legs and stung like thousand yellow jackets. His wife saw the look on his face, and gently pulled her off of him.

"Be careful sweetheart, Daddy has some ouchies, remember?" Naima said. Ray watched as the little girl processed it.

"When we get home, I'll give you one of my Minnie Mouse band aids! They always help me feel better!" She said, grabbing his hand. He laughed, and slowly leaned down to kiss her forehead. Naima saw that he definitely still had some pain, but that there was also no way he would admit it. She gently put a hand around his back to support him as he straightened up with a grimace on his face, and put a hand to his side, feeling the bumps of the stitches under the fabric of his shirt.

"I'm ok." He said, seeing the look on her face. She was in full nurse-mode.

"I don't believe you, but it's ok because I have you back now. Ray, when I saw that headline…." She trailed off, blinking rapidly to force back the tears pushing against her eyelids.

"Hey, I'm here now. It's ok. Your gonna take great care of me, and get me back to full working order in no time!" Ray said, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb.

"And then I'll have to send you off again." She said as they sat in the small room, waiting for the doctor to come back in with the release forms and give him the all clear. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, and looked into her eyes.

"Yes, you will, but your forgetting that I'll always have reasons to come home. Two of those reasons are sitting in this stroller, and the other is standing beside me right now." He said, then kissed her. She smiled back at him, and wiped her eyes.

"I'd give you a hug but I don't want to hurt you. I love you." She said.

"It's been a few days since everything, I can handle a quick hug. I'm serious, get over here!" he said, and pulled her towards him.

In the next room over, Jason sat quietly when the door opened, and the kids ran in. Emma hugged him tightly, burying her head in his shoulder, while Mikey sat on the edge the bed. Alana stood just inside the door and gave him a look while he stroked his daughters head.

"I….I..thought you were...dead." Emma said looking up at him.

"They showed the footage on the news." Alana said when Jason gave her a questioning look, wondering how the kids knew about everything.

"Oh come on now! I'm not going anywhere." He said, and hugged her gently.

"You really scared us." Alana said, moving a little closer. Jason could feel the tension of all the things that needed to be said, but didn't have the words to. He knew it would be awkward because of the divorce, and had been mulling over it nearly the entire time he had been laid up.

"Sorry 'bout that." He said, silence falling and hanging over the room like a crowd.

Across the hall, Cerberus heard the door open and thumped his tail against the bed, where he was laying in front of his master. Jessie walked in and greeted the doctor before glueing herself to Brock's side almost immediately. Cerberus nuzzled his head into her hand, and she stroked him happily.

"How are they Doc?" she asked, pushing her wavy brown hair behind her ear.

"Lucky. If the first bullet had been a few centimeters to the left, we would be having a very different conversation right now. Other than that, there's a few nasty brush burns that'll need to heal up, and some broken ribs. The one thing you do need to watch is the area where we took out the appendix. While we believe they got all the toxins out, there could still be some along with debris. If you have any sharp, persistent pains in that area, you need to go to a hospital right away." Dr. Collins said.

"Of course. Will Cerberus need any kind of special care?" Brock asked.

"There it is. Always more concerned about the dog than about himself." Jessie said with laugh, and rolled her eyes.

"Just doing my job!" Brock said, defending himself.

"Just keep an eye on the cuts, otherwise he's good to go." Doctor said. He handed Brock a pair of crutches and Jessie a clipboard.

"Both of you sign these forms and he's all yours!" He said. Jessie thanked him, and took the papers. As he read them over and filled them out, Jessie sat down next to him.

"So there was an explosion? Naima told me you were shot. How'd that happen? And how did his best catch it and not yours?" She asked, looking to the wrap on Cerberus side to protect the ribs bruised from the bullet.

"They threw a grenade into the room where we all were. Trent and I were on rear security, so we were the farthest away from the blast. I don't remember much of it, but from what Ray said, we didn't go down right away somehow so they decided to use armor piercing rounds on us. Somehow he got lucky." Brock answered dryly, trying to hide his emotions. He knew if he let them out here, it would be a mess. Sure, he had had time to process it all, but yet every time he talked about it, the hazey and pain filled scene of Cerberus flying backwards, and blood spraying from Trent's shoulder wound and covering him replayed in his mind. All because of those homicidal maniacs. He started to slip back into the dark corners of his mind when he heard a tender voice bringing him back.

"...Brock...Hey. Babe, it's ok." Jessie said, putting a hand on his arm. She had seen that look in his eyes before.

"Hmm?" he asked, blinking away the clouds that had gathered in his mind.

"You broke the pen and started shaking. You alright?" she asked. He looked down and the two pieces in his hand, and sighed.

"I'm ok." He said, then handed her the clipboard.

"I'll leave you two alone. Once all that is finished, give it to the front desk, and go home and heal up." Dr. Collins said, and walked out. Jessie nodded, and he walked out into the hallway towards the next room. On his way, he passed Trent and Savannah. "I don't need a wheelchair." Trent said, slightly annoyed.

"Yes you do! We've been over this, hon. You had surgery on your hip, your not walking anywhere until the therapist says you can!" Savannah said.

"She's right Trent, you gotta let yourself heal." Collins said. He sighed and finally gave up, then said goodbye to the doctor. Dr. Collins found the last door he was looking for and walked in.

"Alright Clay, looks like your the last on the list. How're you feeling since the incident getting off the plane?" he asked.

"There was an incident getting off the plane? What happened?" Stella asked, worried.

"It was nothing, I just passed out for a little bit." Clay said, trying to brush it off.

"Dr. Fisher said you told her you had chest tightness and felt like you couldn't breath right before you dropped. Sounds to me like you need to take things a little slower. You lung needs to heal, and it's not gonna happen right away." He said.

"You didn't tell me about that!" Stella said, upset.

"Because it wasn't a big deal!" Clay said.

"You had a stake through your chest! I'd say that's pretty serious!" Stella said, angered that he was trying to downplay his injuries as usual. Clay laid his head back, knowing he wasn't likely to win this argument.

"Sit forward for me so I can take a listen." Dr. Collins said. Clay slowly sat forward with some help from Stella. His groan of pain was evident when moving prompted it.

"Take a breath for me. Don't force it, just as deep as you can without pain." Collins said. Stella tried not to panic, but couldn't help it when she saw the scrunched brow of the doctor. He picked up the stethoscope, then listened to the same spot again.

"Alright, lay back. I want to take an x-ray of your chest. The side opposite of the surgery had some crackling. It'll only take a minute, and it's better safe than sorry." He said. Clay nodded and carefully followed the directions. Dr. Collins wheeled the machine over, and took the picture. After a few tense moments, the doctor nodded.

"Well, it's better than I thought. Your good lung isn't damaged, it's just being overworked. I'm going to give you an oxygen tank to take home. I want you to keep a mask on when your around the house, and sleep with it on." He said.

"Is his lung supposed to look that small? And what're all those lines on it?" Stella asked, looking at the x-ray.

"They're the same size, it just looks that way from a distance. Some of those things are the staples that closed his lung, and the rest are debris from the rebar and the dirt of the building. There's a lot of stitches because there was a hole on each side from the rebar." Doctor said.

"Will the debris be a problem?" she asked, looking at Clay.

"I can't give a definite answer either way. We'll just have to monitor it." He said. He then got the couple to sign release papers, and instructed them both on how to operate the oxygen tank. They thanked him, and Stella helped him off the bed.

After grabbing his things, they opened the door to go home. They were walking along the pavement, when she noticed him starting to slow down. The sun beat down on them, making them drip with sweat.

"Hey. You alright?" she asked, and slowed to walk next to him. His face was flushed bright red.

"Yea, just a little tired." He answered.

"Does you chest hurt? It sounds like you breathing is a little off." she asked.

"I'm….fine." He said, though he knew she was right. He was struggling for air, and felt like he was breathing through a tube. The thick humidity of the air didn't help at all.

"Alright, your putting the mask on. Uh uh don't." She pointed a finger at him when he started to protest. She pulled the tank closer to him, and turned it on, then put it snugly on over his mouth. He immediately felt the relief of the clean oxygen flow into his lungs when he breathed in. He smiled, then wrapped his arm around Stella, and they crossed the rest of the parking lot.

 **Later…**

 _Ray looked around him and blinked hard. This building looked eerily familiar...but where had he seen it before? Then he saw the rest of his team. So he was on a mission? A blinding white light flashed in his eyes, and suddenly he was falling, flying backwards. When he stopped, he looked around and saw Jason. He was covered in blood, but his eyes…. Clay was next to him, looking the same. Then Brock.. and Sonny..and Trent. All there. All….dead. No! NO!_

"No!" Ray yelled, his body flying upright into a sitting position. His breath came in gasps as he looked around and tried to get his bearings. Naima sat up next to him, and rubbed her eyes. Once she realized what was happening, she put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Ray! Honey, it's me. Your at home, ok? It was just a dream. Just take a deep breath."

Ray's vision cleared, and he recognized the pale blue walls, the dresser full of their clothes, and the baby monitor on the bedside table next to him. _It's not real….Its not real. But…..it was._ He thought. As his mind cleared, it was replaced with pain that came from the quick movement that had happened when he jolted awake. He groaned and doubled over, the pain raging under his skin. Naima held his shoulders and helped him lay back down. She clicked the light on and pulled his loose t-shirt up to ensure he hadn't done any damage. The patches of gauze bandage that were covering the shrapnel wounds were still in place, but three of the ones on his side were now bleeding. He hissed in pain as she pulled the bandages off and inspected them.

"Well I wasn't going to clean them until the morning, but it looks like I have to now. I'll be right back." She said, throwing the covers to the side and walking to the closet to find her first aid kit.

"This is gonna sting." She warned, then ran the medicated towels over the wounds. She shook her head when she felt his muscles tense under her touch. She couldn't even imagine how much this must hurt. And the same type of wounds were littered across the bottom two rows of his abs and up his back. The skin looked as though someone had taken a cheese grater to it. It was shredded, with a multitude of holes and lines where they had spent hours picking out pieces of rubble. She replaced the bandage, then made her way to the ones that he had irritated. She tried to get him to sit up so she could access the ones on his back when she saw the look on his face. He had a faraway look in his eyes, and she knew exactly why. She'd been there for all of his other night terrors, and she could spot them without trying very hard.

"Honey, I need you to sit up." She said, trying to coax him back to reality as gently as possible. He complied, but she could tell he still wasn't completely there. She turned his face towards hers, so he was looking her in the eye.

"What's going on up there?" she asked.

"I...I was conscious. For all of it." He finally spoke.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The explosion. I didn't black out until we were on the plane. I saw…..everything. I almost watched them die. All of them." He said. The words hit her like a punch to the gut. How had he stayed sane through all that? What should she say?

"It sounds to me like you saved lives that day. You'll remember this forever, and you'll get to remember it with five of the greatest men I've ever met. We'll get past this. If you ask me, the important thing is what didn't happen. You all came back to us. You have a reason to, remember?" she said. He sighed deeply, and nodded. There it was. All it took was words, and she had saved his life like she had done every day since the moment they met.


	10. Chapter 10

Without A Thought

The front gates of the base opened, and the battered, dusty armored car slowly rolled through. The six men inside remained silent, so quiet they could almost hear each others breathing. To say that this mission had been stressful would be an understatement. It was infuriating. They had been after this man for months, but every time they got close, he somehow managed to slip from their grasp. Today was no exception.

They filed out of the back and made their way towards the tack room to put away their gear. Clay wiped the sweat off his forehead and pulled his helmet off.

"Well well well! If it isn't the beloved Bravo team! How'd the mission go? Did you catch your guy yet? Probably not!" A man said, walking towards them. He had a slender build, but still muscled with dark brown hair and a beard to match. Jason narrowed his eyes in annoyance and kept walking. He knew exactly who the voice belonged to, and knew not to pay him any mind. His name was Gavin Banks, a fellow SEAL who had graduated alongside Clay. He may have been skeptical of Clay at first, but this kid? He was a whole different ball game.

"Who am I kidding? With Spencer on your team, it's a wonder you all got back alive!" Banks yelled after them. Ray shook his head as he saw Clay clench his fists and start to turn around.

"Don't. He ain't worth it kid." Sonny said, putting a hand on his shoulder and turning him back around. Clay pursed his lips and followed the rest of the team across the common area.

"He's a real piece of work." Clay muttered. Sonny nodded. He had a point. Banks had had his eye on Bravo team for the last two years, but every time selection came around, someone else had been drafted, and he was nothing if not bitter.

"How'd you pick him Jason? Did he tell you he'd write a book about you? You know That's the only reason he's a SEAL, right? All so he can show everyone how much like his father he really is. He's just here for the glory!" Gavin said. Rage boiled in Clay's veins.

"Let it go Clay." Jason said, but it was to late. He turned just in time to watch Clay land a solid left hook to the man's jaw.

"Ohhh, big tough guy! Your daddy teach ya that?" Banks yelled, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, then caught Clay by surprise with his own punch, and a fight ensued. The sting of the punches he was giving and receiving was dulled by the anger that filled him. Ray quickly grabbed Clay by the back of his vest and yanked him away, forcing him backwards. Clay rushed back after his opponent, but was blocked by Trent and Sonny, who put a hand on his chest.

"Take a walk! Go!" Trent said, and Clay spit out a mouthful of blood then stormed off, spiking his helmet into the Afghan dirt. Gavin tried to go after him, but Jason stepped in and shoved him backwards.

"Get outta here!" He said.

"I think he broke my tooth! Where's the captain? I'll have his head!" Gavin said.

"One more word out of you and so help me god I will make you swallow it!" Jason said through his teeth, his face inches away from that of Banks. The younger man looked around and saw Ray, Sonny, and Brock standing behind him, and finally realized he was outnumbered. He huffed, and made his exit.

 **/**

Sweat dripped off Clays skin and pooled on the floor under him. He danced around on the balls of his feet and set off another furious round of punches into the bag in front of him. _I'm nothing like him! If I have to be here for the rest of my damn life to erase his memory, so be it!_ Clay thought, putting everything he had into the bag in front of him. He changed the angle of his fists, and the next hit he landed sent a shock wave of pain that started in his knuckle, shot up to his elbow before settling back in his knuckle. The combination of the fierce pain and exhaustion dropped him down to one knee. He pulled it in tight to his chest with a gasp of pain, then stood back to his feet and shook it out in an effort to dissipate the stinging.

"Spencer." Clay looked up when he heard his name, but looked away when he saw who it was. He slowly unwrapped the tape from around his hand, and turned his back.

"If your coming to scold me, save it. That asshole got what he deserved. I hope I broke his jaw." Clay said, picking his bag off the bench and walking out. Before he could get to the door, Jason stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"We're going to talk about this whether you like it or not. I know that he's had it out for you since the minute we drafted you. I know he picks you apart and tries to play on your nerves. You can't let him in your head! Think of what they put you through back in Sere training. If you can get through that, you can damn sure keep this guy from getting to you!" Jason said.

"He brought family into it. They didn't. How would you even know anything about that?!" Clay said.

"More than you think. In any case, go get that hand looked at." Jason said, thinking about the divorce papers that were sitting on the desk in his cabin.

"It's fine." He said, pushing past Jason.

"That wasn't a suggestion. Just talked to Davis, and she said we have Tabul's location. We're moving on it in a few hours. If you come back and it's not wrapped up properly, your not going. That's an order." Hayes said, then watched him leave, and shook his head. He made a mental note to call home and talk to Mikey as soon as he could. After all, there are few bonds in this life more important than the one between father and son.

 **Later…**

Clay pulled his laptop open with one hand without looking at the screen. His feet hung over the edge of his bunk, and his attention was stuck to the weapon he was cleaning.

"Hey. You alive or am I talking to a picture?" Stella asked jokingly. Her expression changed when he finally looked up, and she caught a glimpse of his battered face.

"Ooff…. How's the other guy look?" she asked.

"Hi. Probably the same." He said dryly.

"Oh. Is this a bad time?" she inquired.

"No. No it's actually a good time. It's just… it's been a rough few weeks. The guy we're after right now seems to ghost every time we get close. Then there's the thorn in my side." He said with a loud sigh, and set the gun across his lap.

"Banks? That guy you told me about that's always trying to take your spot?" she asked.

"That's the one. He said it's a wonder I haven't gotten anyone killed yet. Then he brought up dad. Said I'm only here because of him." He said.

"Well he sounds like a Class-A jerk." She said, not really knowing how to help him. She knew that he and his dad hadn't gotten along for a while, and that the book had put Clay in hot water with a lot of people. She paused for a moment, trying to think of how to respond, when she heard a buzzing noise from the other end of the video.

"Sorry babe, I gotta go." Clay said, looking at his pager. _Saved by the buzzer._

"Duty calls! Go save the world, We'll talk more when you get back. Love you." She answered.

"Sounds good. Love you to."

 **Later…**

"I can't believe we have to do this with _you guys._ " Gavin said from across the truck. Sonny rolled his eyes. _This kid again?_

"You shouldn't even be allowed to go on missions. You'll probably mess up our luck! We could've handled this on our own." He continued.

"When the General says we have to get this guy, and to do it you need extra guys, you listen." Wells said.

"Well why'd it have to be us?!" Banks complained.

"Hey Banks, do us all a favor and shut up!" Clay said. Jason glared at him, and he sat back into the seat.

"What'd you say?!" Gavin said, puffing his chest out.

"You are really testing me today Banks! Sit down!" Greg Wells, Gavin's team leader said. Gavin huffed, and sat back down.

The green light flashed, and the next two soldiers jumped from the plane, and soon deployed their parachutes. Once they were all on the ground, they dropped into line and crept towards the building where their target was located.

"TOC this is Bravo one, how we looking up top?" Hayes asked.

"Bravo one, you've got some company in the hills above you. Approach the target with caution." Commander Blackburn said.

"Copy that TOC. We're moving." Jason said, and then relayed the information to the men behind him. They moved as one across the dimly lit desert as one. At the speed they were going, they would be in the house in just a few minutes. They moved as one, and silently at that, ensuring their position would be safe from the enemies on the hills around them.

"Alright boys, turn all lights off. TOC we're about to cross the hill. How're are friends doing?" Jason asked.

"TOC to Bravo one, the forces have multiplied. This is one highly paranoid man!" Davis said, looking at the multitude of heat signatures in front of her.

"Yea well his worst nightmares are about to come true." Sonny said, said switching off his nods. The team moved forward, everything going smoothly, when suddenly an alarm went off on Banks Apple watch, bringing with it a flashing light.

"Dammit Banks turn that thing off!" Wells yelled, looking around them. Gavin stopped, frantically fumbling with the watch trying to silence it. Clay looked around, and caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Everybody down! We've been made!" Clay yelled, just as the ground around them was peppered with enemy bullets. They all hit the ground except Banks, who's reaction time wasn't as fast as everyone else's. Clay saw it, and lunged at him without thinking twice, taking them both down and over the slope of the hill. The rest of the team followed, returning fire.

"No way he hasn't heard the commotion. We gotta keep moving before he ghosts again!" Ray yelled over the sound of gunfire. The two team leaders nodded their agreement, and moved with their men towards the house. Jason noticed Clay was looking a little pale, but he knew they didn't have time to stop to check. And besides, he seemed fine...right?

"TOC, we're making entry." Jason said.

"Affirmative Bravo one. Be advised, your ex-fil is about 10 minutes out. Any mishaps?" Commander Blackburn asked.

"None other than boy genius forgot to turn his watch off and nearly got us all turned into Swiss cheese! No biggie!" Sonny said sarcastically, glaring at Gavin.

"Lucky for him Spencer got him out of the way before they blew his head off!" Trent added.

"Alright then. Just get Tabul and get out of there!" Commander said, looking at the people around him who made up the rest of the Top Of Command.

The men strategically took out the guards out front, and cleared the building room by room. They burst into the last one with a blaze of bullets and lots of yelling. Once the man was in cuffs, they stood him up and all took a moment to breath.

"TOC, how far is exfil?" Jason asked.

"Bravo one, their about three minutes out." Davis said.

"Copy that. We have the package!" he said.

"That is great to hear Bravo one!" Commander said as cheers erupted back at base. Jason looked around with a smile and shook Greg's hand. Then he looked across the room to where Clay was standing. He moved closer when he saw the young soldier put a shaky hand to his side and pull it away. He looked at Jason with a strange look on his face. It was a mixture of pain and annoyance with a slight hint of fear. Jason followed the kids eyes down to his hand, and saw that it was covered in blood. He quickly looked past it, and saw he source of it, and the main supply that was flowing from a hole in his side. He was still trying to piece it all together when Clay stumbled forward a few steps, reaching for the chair, but didn't get that far. All eyes were drawn to him when he very ungracefully hit the dirt floor.

"Hey! Spencer! Talk to me man, what's going on?!" Ray asked, the first one to the younger man's aid.

"I…..I think...I got shot." Clay said, as the adrenaline fully left his body and was replaced by pain stabbing into his side like a knife. He tried to catch his breath, and focus on which one of the faces swirling above him was the correct Ray.

"Uh, yea. You sure did. The little bastard should be in your vest! How'd that happen?!" Jason asked, kneeling to look at the wound. Then he thought back to moments ago, and the situation with the watch, and how Clay had warned them all, and then tackled….

"What's going on? What's wrong with him?" Gavin asked with a confused and annoyed voice. Sonny had put it together already, and the red hot anger made itself known by the flushed color at the base of his neck.

"He took a bullet for you, you jackass! All that shit you gave him earlier, and he was still willing to save your sorry life! You s.." Sonny's nose was inches away from that of Banks, shoving him backwards. He was about to go after him when Jason stepped in between them, pushing Sonny away.

"Not now. It's not gonna help anything." He said.

"It'll help my hand to hand combat." Sonny said, still glaring at him, then walked away.

"TOC, this is Bravo one, we've got a situation. Bravo three took a bullet." Jason said. He pressed harder onto the already blood soaked cloth in his hand. Clay groaned at the pressure that felt like his entire body was being crushed. He took a deep breath to slow the pounding in his head. _Come on man this is nothing. Not like you haven't been shot before. This is easy._ He blinked a few times, clearing the fog from his vision.

"Copy Bravo one. You'll have to do a hot ex-fil. Their right outside, but the enemy forces aren't far behind." Commander Blackburn said, all the happiness leaving the room with the words that one of their men was shot. What was worse was that he didn't know where, or how bad.

"Alright boys, let's move!" Hayes ordered, and the men took their positions. Clay pushed himself into a sitting position with a grunt, and then to his feet despite the protests from Ray and Trent.

"What part of take it easy do you not understand kid! I meant that!" Ray said with an exasperated tone. He threw the soiled bandage on the floor, and looked to where the blood had begun to seep from the wound even faster.

"I'm...ok." Clay answered.

"Oh really?! The bullet is still in there!" Ray said, annoyed. He waited while Derek replaced the bandage and wrapped it tightly, then pulled his arm over his shoulder. They ensured that Clay was in the middle of the group, and quickly made their way towards the door. Once outside, Clay tried to run, still trying to pull his own weight. He quickly stopped when the movement sent waves of pain to the hole in his side and the surrounding area. He grimaced, all the muscles in his abdomen tightening against the pain. He started to hunch over.

"Hold on kid, we're almost there!" Derek yelled, noticing the grimace. When they got to the chopper, half the team piled in. Wells and Trent sat on the other side, guns ready for any opposition. Jason practically threw Tabul into the chopper, then hopped in behind Brock and Sonny. They turned around, and Clay felt their strong arms lifting him off the ground and into the bird. He clumsily took his helmet off, and then laid back onto the floor while they lifted off.

"How's he doing?" Jason asked over the sound of the propellers, still scanning the area below them for trouble.

"Looks like he got lucky. The round didn't hit anything major, but it's still a bleeder. I can see the bullet. I'm gonna get it out, save the docs back on base some time. It'll hurt." Derek warned.

"Just... do it! I'll be fine!" Clay said. Derek nodded, then carefully stuck the tweezers into the wound. Clay dug his teeth into his bottom lip and squeezed his eyes shut. The small metal tweezers felt more like a thousand tiny needles shooting into side.

"Hey! Quit holding your breath, you're gonna make yourself pass out!" Brock said, shaking Clays shoulder lightly.

"It's out! You can relax now. You'll need a few stitches when we get back but other than that, you'll be fine!" Derek interjected.

"I told you I would be!" Clay said, releasing the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding and looked over at Ray.

"Shut up!"

 **Later…**

"Good lord Spencer, please just answer the thing already! It's getting annoying!" Jason said.

"I think she can wait 5 minutes till I'm not in this hospital gown anymore. She'll freak out anyway." He replied.

"Kid, take it from me, she's gonna freak out more if you don't answer. Besides, it's actually not serious!" Jason said.

"Yea but she won't believe.. hey!" Clay said, giving him an annoyed look when the older man grabbed the computer off of his lap and opened it.

"Hey Stella!" he said.

"Oh… Jason. Uh, hi!" Stella said, surprised and confused.

"Clay's right here, don't worry!" Jason. Said, and handed him the laptop. As soon as Clay was stuck, he slipped out to leave them alone for their conversation.

"You know typically when people say they'll finish a conversation later, it doesn't end up with one of them in a hospital bed. What happened?!" She asked worriedly when she saw the tube under his nose and the pale blue hospital gown.

"Funny story actually." He said watching her face contort.

"I caught a bullet pushing Banks out of the way."

"Wait, what?! You got shot saving the life of the guy who taunts you non stop? Wasn't that the same guy who keeps comparing you to your dad?" She asked, her confusion growing.

"Yep. Truthfully, it all happened really fast. My brain just kinda went into autopilot." He said.

"Sounds to me like your being to humble! You saved the guys life! Your incredible." She said lovingly. Clay smiled.

"So where's the new scar? How bad was it?" She asked with a smile of her own.

"A little above my waist on my side. It actually really wasn't a big deal. Derek said it was stuck in the muscle. He took it out on the plane ride back to base, so this little stay has been easy." Clay answered.

"He took it out on the plane!? You guys are insane!" She said, though it didn't surprise her. The couple talked for a while longer, catching up on everything. The doctor came in and set the paperwork on his table, gave him a few instruction that he had heard all before, and left.

 **Later…**

Clay walked out into the common area near the fire pit. He felt something wet nudge against his hand, and looked down. He smiled and stroked Cerberus. The dog sniffed him over, focusing on the spot on his left side where the bandage sat. After he sniffed a little longer, he returned to Brock's side and laid down.

"Looks like he's finished his exam." Clay said with a smile. Trent handed him a beer.

"Well the last time he saw you, you were laying on the floor in front of him bleeding. He just likes to make sure his pack is safe and healthy!" Brock said. The group laughed, and chatted casually.

"What'd doc say?" Silence fell over the group when they looked up and saw who was talking. Clay pressed the bottle to his lips, deciding how or if he wanted to answer. He look a slow sip, sloshing the liquid around in his mouth, purposefully dragging the moment out longer so he could chose his next words wisely.

"Bullet didn't hit anything major. I'm good." He said.

"Well it seems like you aren't gonna make this any less awkward, and I don't blame you. Look, I didn't mean what I said this morning. I let my ego get the best of me, and maybe even a bit of jealousy. It was childish of me. I'm sorry man." Gavin said, shifting his weight back and forth. Clay nodded his understanding.

"Fact of the matter is you took a bullet meant for me. I don't know man, seeing someone else go down because of something you did…. If that's not a reality check, I don't know what is. How 'bout we put this behind us?" He said, sticking out his hand. Clay returned the gesture, and the two shook hands.

"Water under the bridge. We're good." Clay said.

"So ya need me to smash that 'ol watch a yours, or did you figure out how to work it?" Sonny asked, cutting the silence.

"Really? That's your concern?" Clay asked with a scrunched brow.

"You might be fine with gettin' shot, but I ain't! Far as I'm concerned, I've gotten my share of bullets!" Sonny said, the group laughing.

"Yea, I disabled it. Don't worry." Gavin said with a smirk. The two sat down on the lawn chairs around the fire pit, talking happily. After the madness of the day, but also the big victory that was finally having Tabul in custody.


	11. Chapter 11

**Breathe**

Ray felt his grip on the man's hand loosening, and fought to keep it in place. He heard Clay yelling in one of the native languages again, and the voice next to his ear yelled back. He gasped for air against the fire burning in his chest, his thoughts turning to putty, his body trying to focus on staying alive…

 **Two days earlier…**

"I told you my parents are coming for a visit right? They haven't seen the baby yet." Naima said, handing Ray a basket of laundry to fold and put away. He chewed on the inside of his lip, choosing his next words carefully.

"You didn't tell me that. Hopefully I'm home for it." He said carefully. Conversations about the in-laws on either side was always a touchy subject, seeing as her dad still wasn't to fond of Ray.

"He's does like you Ray. He's just a tough man, that's all. He knows you love me and do everything you can for this family." She said.

"He sure has an odd way of showing it. At any rate, we're supposed to have tomorrow off. Don't want Dad thinking I'm avoiding him again." Ray said lightly.

"Come on, you gotta let that go!" Naima said, sighing.

"Yea, for sure. That's my son! Saving daddy from an awkward conversation!" Ray said when he heard the baby rolling around in his crib, trying to get out. Naima rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh at his antics. She looked to where the laundry basket set, everything perfectly folded.

/

Ray sat on the living room floor playing with his daughter when he heard his phone ring. He laid his head back onto the couch behind him, trying not to let his frustration show. He had programmed a special ringtone into his phone for the important numbers, so he knew exactly who it was.

"Hello." He said.

"Hey. I know this is your day off and all, but we just got an urgent call. We need everyone here immediately." Commander Blackburn said, hearing the hint of annoyance in Ray's voice.

"I'll be there in 15." Ray said, and hung up. He looked up to see Naima watching him with a look of resignation on her face, masking the disappointment underneath.

"Babe…." He started.

"I know. I know how much you wanted to be here, but if their calling you on your day off, it must be important." She said.

"It sounded like it." He answered as he stood up and walked into the bedroom to grab his things. He walked back out minutes later to find her standing in the same spot. He could practically see the thoughts racing through her mind. He knew she was trying to plan what she would say to her father, and calculating his response. He walked over and gave his daughter a kiss, then the baby. After laying him down on his mat, he hugged her tightly.

"I'm really sorry. I love you." He said.

"I love you to. Come back quick." She said, and kissed him goodbye.

When he got outside, he started his truck and sighed deeply. He loved his job more than anything, but when it messed with family plans, he couldn't help but hate it a little.

 **Hours later…**

Ray raised his eyebrow questioningly at Jason as they walked into the base and were ushered immediately towards the air strip and onto a plane. Jason shrugged, looking just as confused as the rest of them.

"Sorry to call you all away from your families today, but this is an urgent mission. This is General of Armies John Weston, and this is Muhammad Oaz, the man who is holding him hostage. He was enroute to the base when his convoy was attacked by insurgets. Three soldiers were injured, and are in critical condition. He has been held for six days, and we just received intel he is being held in this building in the center of the city." Commander Blackburn said, pointing to the pictures. Everyone got a bad taste in their mouth from the name Oaz. He was known for his drug and human trafficking, along with the multiple times he had abducted and murdered high ranking officials from his country and soldiers from nations like the U.S., Britain, France, and many more.

"So we're doing hostage extraction in the middle of a city that's known for hating us more than anything in life. Why do I get the feeling that there's more to it than just that?" Jason asked, sensing something from the sound of Eric's voice.

"Because there is. You'll be doing this in the daylight." He answered. The room was filled with annoyed looks and sighs.

"Look, I trust your judgement and all, but if you forget what happened the last time we did a daylight hit, I've got a few scars as evidence." Sonny said with a skeptical look.

"Even more than that, it'll be hard enough to get ourselves out, let alone a guy that's probably had the living daylights beat out of him every day. How exactly are we supposed to do this?" Ray added.

"I understand your concern, and you all know I wouldn't be doing it this way unless we didn't have another choice, and we don't. Oaz posted this on a known terrorist website this morning." Blackburn said, motioning towards a video on the screen in front of them. The team watched as the general was drug into the frame, then lots of shouting and threats were made before the camera shut off.

"Well the cocky SOB certainly ain't afraid of having his face shown on camera." Sonny said with a huff after watching the video.

"So, my Arabic is a little uh…non-existent, so help me out here." Jason said, looking at Clay.

"Basically, we have 16 hours to pay them or the chop his head off and mail it to us." Clay answered.

"So now you can see why this is so urgent. From his history, we know this guy doesn't mess around. If he said he's gonna kill him, he will. From the airstrip, you'll take two vans into the city. Once you get to the target building, you will make entry through the alley door. Based off of satellite images, we know that Weston is being held in one of the first rooms. We will have a chopper waiting for you on the outskirts of the town. Be careful, these guys are ruthless. Everyone comes home tonight." Blackburn said.

 **Present time…**

"Hey! Stay with me Ray! Keep your eyes open!" Ray heard a voice yelling to him, and finally placed it as that of Jason. It was getting harder and harder to focus as the lack of oxygen slowly cut of his senses. Then he thought about Naima, and the look on her face when he had left days before. Her words played in his mind as he hung there, his hands grasping at the metal chain that was tightening around his neck. _Come back quick…._

"Spenser! We're running out time here!" Jason yelled to the young soldier who was desperately searching his mind for the right combination of words that the man would understand. He saw Rays face turning shades of red it was never supposed to, and knew they had to act fast. Ray saw the poorly hidden panic on the faces of his team members, and knew he had to help them save him. He looked at Jason, hoping he would catch onto his thoughts, then made up his mind as to what he would do, even though he knew it would hurt, and likely knock him out. He waited until the man was off his guard, then dropped all his weight onto his knees, bending them and sending him towards the ground. Luckily, Jason had caught on, and quickly fired a single bullet, taking out Rays attacker.

"Ray! Ray can you hear me?! Come on man, breathe! Breathe!" Jason said, dropping to his knees at Rays side.

 **Minutes earlier…**

Ray looked out the windshield as he drove the lead van through the town towards their target. Though none of them really did, he was the one from the group who blended in the best. He looked around them at the stares from nearly every passerby.

"You think they do this to every car that comes through here or do they know what's up?" Clay asked as he peeked through the curtains hanging over the windows to hide them, even though he partially already knew the answer.

"How many cars do you think come through here that have their back windows covered? Our best bet is hoping they get us mixed up with all the other cars coming through here." Jason answered. Everyone readied themselves as the vans pulled off into a narrow alley, and slowed to a stop. The all jumped out at once, blew the door off, and quickly entered the building through the cloud of smoke. They were immediately thrown into a gun fight.

"Bravo one this TOC, We need a status report." Commander Blackburn said, watching the screen nervously. This was an important mission. The media had gotten wind of the Generals abduction, and they knew how dangerous Oaz was. Washington was impatiently waiting for progress report on the mission.

"TOC this is Bravo one, we have made entry. We are moving towards Rockford." Jason replied. Ray was in the front of the group, as he had been the first one in the building. Their progress had been slower than usual, on account of the building be heavily guarded, even though they had expected nothing less from this man. They moved further down the hall when suddenly, a man jumped out from behind a wall, surprising Ray with a punch to the temple. Before anyone could react, Ray felt a chain wrap around his neck, and pulled tight. He instinctively reached for it, but the man's grip was strong. Ray saw the internal crisis as it flashed through each team member. They had to get into the room and get to the General, and if they made even the slightest noise, everything could go downhill from there. But they also had a policy that every man comes home from a mission, and they couldn't leave Ray. He was struggling against the man as much as he could, but with every move the chain dug deeper into his throat. He could feel it tearing his skin, and felt as if it went any deeper, it would surely cut jugular open.

"Sonny, Trent and Brock, go get the General. Clay, what's he saying?!" Jason yelled. The three reluctantly broke from Jason and Clay, not wanting to leave their comrade. Jason heard them blow the door off, and soon there was a call over the radio. "Bravo three to Bravo one, we have the General. He's in pretty bad shape. How's Bravo two?" Sonny asked.

"Affirmative Bravo three. We're still working on Bravo two." Jason said, looking down the scope of his rifle. Then he saw Ray look at him, and he knew what he was about to do. _This is a bad idea! This is such a bad idea! Come on Ray, think of something else!_ Before his thoughts could go any further, he watched Ray throw all his weight towards the ground, catching his captor off guard, and leaving the perfect open window. Jason quickly pulled the trigger and watched Ray drop to the ground, free from the chain around his neck.

 **Present time…**

Ray gasped and coughed, his entire body convulsing as his lungs fought to start pumping oxygen again. Jason and Clay looked at the cuts around his neck that the rusty chain had left. Clay quickly unclipped his helmet so it wouldn't restrict the movement of his jaw.

"Ray, you with us man? Don't try to talk, just nod." Clay asked. Ray shook his head in reply, squeezing his eyes shut against the burning in his chest.

"Bravo one to TOC, how we looking outside? Anyone get wind that we're here?" Jason asked, looking around the building.

"TOC to Bravo one your clear to move, but you better do it soon. I can't guarantee it'll stay that way for very long." Davis said.

"Alright, let's roll. You ready?" Jason asked Ray, who had sat up, his head still pounding. He nodded, and strapped his helmet back on just in case he would need if. He was pulled to his feet, and started to sway from the quick change in altitude. Sonny caught him, and held onto the back of his vest. Although he tried to act like he was fine, the look on his face said that he could fall over at any moment. The team made their exit, and scrambled into the vans, Brock and Trent immediately handing the General off to the docs that were waiting for him in the second van. Ray walked towards the driver's seat and opened the door, but was quickly stopped.

"I'm driving, your gonna sit back there and catch your breath." Jason said. Ray tried to argue until Sonny piped in.

"We ain't gonna have you pass out behind the wheel. Not sure if you know, but nothing looks more suspicious than that. Hop in." Sonny added. Ray sighed and reluctantly listened, getting into the back. He sat back against the seat and ran his tongue over the spot in his mouth where his teeth had drawn blood when the chain clamped his mouth shut. Then he thought about Naima, and how much she would fuss over him when he got home.

 **Later…**

"How's the General?" Ray asked as Eric walked across the aircraft.

"They roughed him up pretty good. He's got burn marks all over his body. Doc said he'll be ok though. What about you?" He asked, looking at the line of deep red and purple bruises under his chin, with a few scrapes and brush burns around the sides.

"Still a little lightheaded, but I'll be fine. I'm just glad we got rid of that Oaz lunatic." Ray answered.

"We all are. Washington just called to congratulate on a job well done. No doubt this story will be all over the news." Blackburn said.

"Better hope that scratch clears up before we get home! Everyone's going to want a play-by-play." Trent said with a smirk.

"Here, this might help!" Sonny said, and held a beer out for him.

"It might not help, but it might knock me out, and I'm not opposed to that." He said with a laugh. He took the bottle and hoisted himself into his hammock. He looked up when Jason walked over.

"How're you feeling?" Jason asked, doing his usual check up on his team. He did it habitually after every mission, but when one of them got hurt, it was a bit more intensive.

"Same as when I told Blackburn like two minutes ago. A little lightheaded, but I'm fine." He replied.

"Did the doc check you over?" he asked.

"Yea. He said it looks like I have some minor damage to the inside of my throat, but that'll heal in a few days. The cuts are all shallow, so it's nothing major." Ray said.

"You sure that's all?" Jason pressed. He could tell when Ray's mind was somewhere else, and this was one of those times.

"Naima's parents are coming in for a few days. They'll be at the house in about an hour, and just like my father-in-law expects, I won't be there." Ray said with a sigh.

"He knows your a soldier though, right. Hasn't he got it through his head that our schedules are unpredictable yet?" Jason said.

"He has, but that's the thing. He always had strict rules for who Naima could marry, and one of the top ones was that they shouldn't be a soldier. He said there not around enough to raise a family like a man should." Ray said, hearing his voice in his mind.

"Wow. Well Naima is amazing, I'm sure she'll be able to handle him." Jason said, trying to reassure him. Ray nodded in agreement, and the silence fell over the plane as sleep took each of them one at a time.

 **Later…**

Ray took a deep breath as he pulled into his driveway and turned off the ignition. He knew he shouldn't feel like this when it was family, but he couldn't help it. He grabbed his bag and walked towards the house, already hearing the commotion going on inside that happened every time his daughter heard his truck pull in after a mission.

"Daddy!" she yelled joyously as she ran towards him. He picked her up and spun her around before giving her a hug.

"Hey little lady! Did you grow while I was gone? You look taller!" He said happily. He set her down and walked into the living room. He greeted his in-laws, ignoring the comment from his father-in-law about how late he was, then turned to Naima, who he knew was studying him and had surely already found the wound on his neck.

"Hey honey." He said, kissing her on the cheek while she continued to stare at it.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's nothing, I'm ok." He said.

"That's not what I asked. It looks like…. like someone tried to choke you." she said, lightly pushing his chin up and brushing his beard to the side so she could get a better look. He could see her mom standing close behind, looking over her shoulder. He let it go for a moment, then flinched away when she touched one of the deeper cuts.

"Ok, ok! Your right. The guy jumped out from behind a wall. It was smoky, and I didn't see him coming. He wrapped a chain around my neck." He said, watching her process what he was saying.

"Did you pass out? Did they give you oxygen on the way home?" she asked nervously.

"No. It all happened really fast, I got away from the guy. Really, I'm ok, it's not a big deal." Ray reassured her.

"Is it true you were saving General Weston?" Ray looked up towards the sound of her father's voice, and then towards the tv. They had been told that the news would travel fast, but he didn't know it would go this fast.

"Yea, that was us." He answered, sitting on the couch. They talked for awhile longer, Ray surprised to see his father-in-law subtly attempting to make peace with him. As he settled back in with his son on his lap, he glanced up and saw the look of pride on the man's face. _Either Naima worked her magic on him, or he's actually starting to change his mind about me_ he thought, a smile stretching across his face. He wouldn't be surprised if it were the first option. He had, after all, married a pretty amazing woman.


	12. Chapter 12- Not my Blood

R **Hi guys! Yes, I'm alive! Sorry for the wait, but these last few weeks have been absolutely crazy with college planning and senior years stuff! Any way, I'll be trying to post more regularly again, so keep on the lookout, and enjoy the story!**

Not my Blood

Jason looked at the goal in front of him and slapped another puck into the net. The warm evening air blew against his face as the sun set behind him. The team's area of the base was unusually peaceful, as most of the men were either asleep or talking to family in their barracks. He hit another puck in and looked down when he felt his pager buzz in his pocket. _So much for a peaceful night_ he thought, then turned and jogged towards TOC.

 **/**

"Ali Khan. Wanted by four major countries in the UN, including us. I don't think I really need to tell you who he is, as I'm sure you all know about the infamous chemical attacks in Yemen orchestrated by him." Mandy said, pointing to the screen. Jason looked at the picture, and his mind went back to one of his first deployments of Green team. His unit was sent in as recovery after this man's first chemical attack. The horrors replayed themselves in his mind as he listened to their mission.

"Finally I get to watch a slug go through this scumbag. My first deployment was in Yemen. He dropped a chemical bomb on a daycare of his own people. Half my team was out for weeks from breathin' all the chemicals in the air." Sonny said.

"That's another reason we need to get to him as soon as possible. The Intel that we received months back that he was planning another attack has proven to have been credible. Over the past years, the CIA has managed to embed an agent into his army. Kahn and a few of his most trusted men will be going to a meet to buy a new stock of chemicals. They will be riding in trucks, and you guys will be there to intercept them." Ellis said, explaining the logistics of the mission.

"Wait, so we're going to just kill this guy? If the CIA took time to get a man undercover, wouldn't they want what's in his head?" Clay asked.

"They do. That's why your going to make every effort possible to bring him to us alive. Trent and Derek, you will use RPG's to take out the lead and rear vehicles. Ray, you'll be on the hill here as the primary sniper, Clay you'll be across from him as the secondary. That leaves Jason, Sonny and Brock to extract Kahn." Blackburn said.

"Do we know how many vehicles and men were talking about?" Jason asked.

"For a guy as paranoid as he is, he's pretty routine. As far as we know, there'll be two in the lead and rear cars, then two in the car with him. He always travels in the middle car. Figures he's safest there." Eric answered.

"Not anymore." Sonny said smugly. Then they left to prepare for the mission.

/

Clay sat in their tack room carefully stitching on the last few threads of Ray's suit. He looked up when the rest of the team filed in.

"Betsy Ross back at it again everyone!" Sonny joked, poking fun at the fact that anytime the team was in need of a suit to camouflage them, Clay was the one to make it.

"Would you rather have just regular camo? That greasy mop you call a beard would stick out like a sore thumb!" Clay retorted with a laugh.

"Oh you think your so special huh? It can't be that hard to put some strips of cloth on a shirt." Sonny snapped playfully.

"If I remember correctly, the last time you tried, I had to pull the needle out of your thumb." Ray chimed in.

"After you bumped my elbow!" Sonny said.

"Bullshit! I wasn't even close to you!" Ray said with a smile.

"Their ready for you! Let's go!" Davis said, cutting their joking short. They all jumped up and walked towards the landing pad where a chopper was waiting.

 **Later…**

"Is everyone in position?" Jason asked over the radio, then waited for the following sound off from each member.

"Bravo one this is Alpha two. We've got movement from the West on the road. Looks like our target." Derek said.

"Affirmative Alpha two. Bravo five be ready to hit the lead on my signal." Jason said. He, Sonny and Brock were lying in wait for the sound of two loud bangs that would tell them it was their turn to work. Jason peeked out over the ridge and watched as the line of three beat up trucks drove up.

 _One more foot…._ Jason thought.

"Bravo five and Alpha two are you set?" Jason asked, then got two answers of affirmative.

"Take them now!" he said, then ducked down, listening to the sound of two missiles flying, followed by explosions. They watched as men jumped out of the middle vehicle and search the hills for the source of fire, and then were quickly picked off by Ray and Clay.

"Alright boys let's move!"Jason whispered. The three remaining men hurried down the hill towards their target with Jason in the lead. He was the first to reach Kahn, and was about to order him to the ground when a second man came out of nowhere. He hit the gun out of Jason's hands, and a brutal two on one fight ensued. Sonny quickly saw what was happening.

"This is Bravo three, does anyone have a clear shot? Bravo one has a situation!" Sonny asked, desperately trying to descend the hill faster without going head over boots.

"Negative! Come on Jase, move!" Ray answered, soon echoed by Clay. Sonny looked over at Brock who nodded, then have Cerberus a simple command and unclipped his leash. The dog bounded down the hill easily and sunk his teeth into one of the men's arms, locking his jaw. Jason heard the screaming mixed with growls, and silently promised to give him a treat later. He threw another punch, sending Kahn reeling. Just when he thought it was clear, Kahn got a dark look in his eyes. Before Jason could react, he rushed at him. He felt something sharp slide through his shirt and deep into his skin. Time slowed nearly to a stop as the blade was removed, and Jason watched his own blood spill from the hole in his side, just above his hip. His knees buckled, but instead of feeling the hard dirt as he was expecting, he felt the cushion of what had to be another body.

"Hayes! You hear me man?! I said stay awake!" Sonny yelled over the sound of gunfire around them. He had been inches away when from the madness when he watched Kahn pull the knife and bury it in Jason's side. The internal conflict raged in his mind as he tried to decide whether or not to kill the man. After all, his brain could eventually uncover a multitude of plans for future attacks. Before he could make up his mind, a bullet flew through Kahn's shoulder from the direction of Clays nest on the hill. Luckily that had kept the man from squirming to much.

"TOC this is Bravo Three we've got a problem." Sonny said, dragging Jason safely to the cover of a large rock.

"Copy Bravo Three, what's the situation?" Blackburn asked anxiously.

"Bravo one's been stabbed."

 **Later...**

"How bad is it?" Sonny asked when he saw the look on Derek's face.

"It's deep." Derek said, but the rest of the team that had now joined them could tell he wasn't telling them everything.

"He'll be fine, he's had worse. He will be fine, right?" Ray asked after a long pause.

"All I can say is we better find that exfil fast. I think the knife hit his gallbladder. If it doesn't come out soon, he's gonna have some issues." Derek said.

"Then….we...we better m..move." The team looked down as Jason forced the words out. He had been conscious but not coherent for the last few minutes.

"Sorry Jase, your not exactly in charge right now. We'll get you taken care of, you just focus on staying with us." Ray said, assuming the lead role of the group. The pain was fogging Jason's senses, coursing through his veins. He looked above him, blinking hard and trying to make out the worried faces above him.

"Guys we gotta move! Now!" Clay said, his eyes narrowing in frustration.

"What? What do you mean?!" Ray asked.

"Whatever signal he sent off was just received by everyone in this damn country! Their numbers just doubled!" He answered, and waited as Sonny carefully stuck his head up, then cursed under his breath, looking at Jason's paleing face. He was losing blood fast.

"Give me that parachute! We're gonna wrap him in it so he's easier to carry. Hang on Jason!" Sonny said. They got to work, carefully securing Jason. He groaned in pain as they lifted him up by the straps of his vest and knees. The pain raged under his skin, so much that it was nearly all he thought about. That was, until his mind went back to the mission, and he suddenly remembered why they were there in the first place.

"K…..kh….kha…" Jason mumbled, trying to get the words out.

"We got him, don't worry. He's got an extra hole in him though. They said they wanted him alive, they never said anything about being in one piece." Clay answered when he heard the boss trying to talk, then looked in front of him to where Trent was shoving Kahn along as they hurried towards their exfil. Clay happened to glance back down just in time to watch Jason's eyes start to flutter.

"Hey! Come on Jason, stay awake man!" Clay yelled, drawing everyone's attention to their fallen brother. Derek quickly came to his side and started checking him over.

"His pulse is getting weak. We gotta get him on that chopper _now_!" He said. At the words, everyone started moving faster, as fast as they could.

 **/**

Dr. Madison ran towards the chopper as it touched down, pushing the gurney in front of her. She had heard that the soldier was coming in with a stab wound, but she didn't know where or how bad it was. She watched as Bravo team jumped out, then turned and slid Jason out and onto the stretcher.

"Deep stab wound. Looks like it hit his gallbladder. Weak pulse, blood pressure is dropping. He needs a transfusion and an OR immediately." Derek yelled over the sound of the propellers. Lauren nodded, then pushed her patient towards the base hospital.

The rest of the team saw that Jason was in capable hands, then walked slowly towards the tack room to put their gear away. This had been one of their longest missions, with them rolling in a little over eight hours after they had left. It was four am, and they hadn't had anything to eat in hours, and little time to stop for a drink. Not a single word was said as they hung up their helmets and guns inside the cubbies, then made their way to the meeting room to debrief. They stumbled in one at a time and took their places around the table where Blackburn, Ellis and Davis were waiting. They were about to get started when a red flash caught Davis' eye.

"Sonny. Hey, you Ok? Sonny! Can I get a medic in here!" She yelled after walking over and finding the man slouched in his chair with a large red stain on the front of his shirt and a dazed look in his eyes. The room caught up in commotion and started to stir when Sonny finally realized what was happening as people started to crowd him.

"Cut it out. I said STOP! I'm fine! It ain't my blood. I caught him when he fell. I think the rest of it is that scumbag that Spencer but a bullet through." Sonny snapped, and everyone gave him some space after a look from Commander Blackburn.

"You sure your alright? You look a little dazed." Mandy asked.

"Well it ain't like I don't got a reason!" He answered, waving the doctor away.

"Alright look, the debrief can wait. Go get some food and some sleep. As soon as I hear anything on Jason, I'll buzz. Go!" Eric said. At that, Bravo team peeled themselves out of the chairs and sluggishly made their way towards the sleeping cabins.

 **The next day…**

Jason slowly rolled his eyes open and took a deep breath, looking around him at the hospital room, waiting for the fogginess to clear from his vision. That last thing he remembered was the lights on his team's nods shining in his eyes, and the pain. He tried to swallow, but soon realized he couldn't, and started to panic. His eyes darted around, and his hands went towards his throat as fear took him. This quickly drew the attention of Eric, who had been sitting in a chair nearby, staring off into space. He put a hand on Jason's shoulder in an effort to calm him, then brought his face into view.

"Hayes! It was helping you breath ok, just try to relax, your ok." Eric said, and called for a nurse. Dr. Madison came quickly, and once Jason calmed down, she carefully removed the tube. He coughed and looked around, trying to get his bearings.

"Take a deep breath." Dr. Madison said, then handed Jason a cup of water.

"Wh...what happened?" Jason asked.

"You got in a fist fight with Kahn, and he stabbed you. They had to remove your gallbladder. It would've been an easy surgery, of the blade hadn't been laced with chemicals." Dr. Madison explained, her mind returning to many hours earlier in the operating room when they were just about to close him up and all at once his stats bottomed out. It took them far too long to figure out that there was poison running through his bloodstream. Once finally caught up, it had taken another few hours for his system to recover with yet another few units of blood.

"Better not let Sonny get word of that. He might kill the guy." Jason said, realizing what a close call he had had.

"He already tried once." Commander said with a huf, as his thoughts took him back.

 _Blackburn stood outside with three of the Bravo team members, watching the interrogation in front of them. Ellis was squeezing him, but he had to admit, this guy was good. After all, he had been evading capture for years._

" _I'll ask you one more time. What were you and you men planning? Chemical bombs? Gas attacks?" Ellis pressed. Again, no response._

" _That's fine, you don't have to talk to me, but trust me when I say this, once you get to prison in Yemen, you'll wish you had. I heard a lot of your victims family members are waiting anxiously for your arrival." She said then stood to leave._

" _Woah hold up! We're sending this piece of garbage to some junky prison he can probably get out of in two days?!" Clay asked with shock and anger._

" _Of course not. He's got a one way ticket to Gitmo. She's trying to get him to fess up." Commander said. Instead of getting the response they wanted, what the man said next made their blood boil._

" _How's your soldier doing? Tell me, which killed him, the wound or the poison on the blade?" Kahn asked with a twisted smile._

" _That sick SOB!" Sonny said, red hot rage filling him. Before Blackburn could stop him, the soldier threw the door open and grabbed the man in one swift move. He threw him against the wall, then picked him up by the throat with one hand, pressing the other onto the bullet wound on his shoulder. Clay, Blackburn and Ray ran into the room._

" _Quinn! Stand down immediately!" Commander said. To no one's surprise, it didn't work. Ray and Clay wasted no time rushing over and pulling Sonny off of the man, knowing by the look in his eyes that if they didn't, he might very well kill him. They drug him away, leaving Kahn gasping for air, but still with the sinister look on his face. Once he caught his breath he started to laugh. They tightened their grip hearing the string of explicits Sonny let loose. As the laughter got louder, Sonny's rage swung him free, connecting his elbow with the side of Ray's mouth. He nearly got free of Clays grasp when Blackburn stepped in front of him, forcing him to look him in the eye._

" _You should've let it happen. I'd be doing the world a service!" Sonny screamed, throwing the chair against the wall, narrowly missing Clays head._

" _That's enough! Go! NOW!" Commander said, pointing out the door. Sonny cursed one last time before storming out. They stood in stunned silence for a few seconds before Eric turned to Ray._

" _You alright?" he asked._

" _Yea." Ray replied and wiped a stream of blood off of his lip._

"Hey. Eric!" Jason said with a confused look on his face.

"Huh? What's you ask?" he asked, coming out of his memories.

"You said Sonny tried to kill him? What'd he do?" Jason asked curiously.

"Lets just says he threw him across the room and then picked him up by the neck. I don't think he's left the boxing room since other than to go through a box of ammo." Eric said. Dr. Madison took this conversation as her cue to leave, and told Jason shed be back to check on him in a little while.

"Sounds personal." Jason said.

"It was. What Sonny didn't tell you is that during that chemical attack on the daycare that he said poisoned a bunch of his men, a little boy died in his arms. Can't image what he went through seeing you go down." Blackburn said. Jason shook his head. He had had a moment like that years ago, so he knew exactly how much that messes with a guys head.

"Tell him I want to see him." Jason said. Eric nodded, and left.

/

Jason looked up when he heard the door slide open and Sonny walked in.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" Sonny asked.

"Pretty good right now. They've got me on some pretty heavy stuff." Jason replied with a small smile.

"That's good. Blackburn said you wanted to see me?" He questioned, sitting down.

"Yea. He told me about earlier, and I know this was personal for you. I know about the kid. Look, Sonny, we've all lost way to many people than anyone on this side of heaven should have to. That's not dismissing it because it sucks. A lot. I guess what I'm saying is that instead of focusing on the ones we lost, we should all focus on the win. We got him, and he's gonna be in a cell until karma finds him, however it does." Jason said, looking his man in the eyes.

"Focus on the win. Yea….yea, your right." Sonny agreed. They were about to continue when the door opened again and the team came in to check up on their leader, and conversations started everywhere.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sacrifice**

 **In honor of memorial day, here's a story about Clay and Bravo team honoring Brian and other fellow soldiers who didn't make it home.**

 **And to anyone out there who has loved or cared for a soldier that has paid the ultimate price for our freedom, there aren't enough words to express my gratitude to them and you.**

" _And I will always do my duty  
No matter what the price  
I've counted up the cost  
I know the sacrifice  
Oh, and I don't want to die for you  
But if dyin's asked of me  
I'll bear that cross with honor  
'Cause freedom don't come free  
I'm an American soldier, an American  
Beside my brothers and my sisters  
I will proudly take a stand  
When liberty's in jeopardy  
I will always do what's right  
I'm out here on the front lines  
sleep in peace tonight  
American soldier, I'm an American soldier."_

American Soldier, Toby Keith

Clay gritted his teeth against the sting of the needle under his skin. He took a breath, and looked down to where the needle was inching closer to the area he knew for sure would sting like crazy. He squeezed the armrest of the chair till his buckles turned white as the needle ran over the scar.

"Almost done man." Clay nodded his acknowledgment as the man dipped the needle into another color, then back into his skin.

"This is scar tissue, so I have to go pretty light or it'll just swell up. That means you might have to get this area touched up every so often." The man said. Clay nodded again, trying to pull his thoughts away from the day the scar had happened.

"This is a memorial tattoo for fallen soldiers, right? If you don't mind me asking." He asked curiously.

"Yea, it is. It's specific to the Navy. I lost...I lost my buddy Brian in Tier-1 training recently. We'd been on teams together since enlisting." Clay answered with a somber look. Today marked a month since his death, and it was the first time he had been home in a while, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"Wow….thats…...thats rough man. I'm sorry for your loss. I guess no better day to do this then Memorial Day, huh? So is that what the scar is from?" he asked.

"Daniel! Don't you think that's a little personal? Sorry bout' my brother, he's kinda nosy." the woman scolded the tattooer from behind the desk where she was cleaning the equipment. Daniel flushed slightly, embarrassed by himself.

"Sorry man…. I don't know what got into me. I should know better by now, your not the first military guy I've tattooed." Dan said apologetically.

"Nah, it's ok. Besides, my girlfriend tells me I should talk about it more anyway. I got thrown 15 feet like a rag doll by a landmine. Got a shoulder full of glass, nails and every other type of shrapnel. Brian didn't care how outnumbered we were, he ran and drug me outta there. Saved my life." Clay answered, his mind replaying the whole ordeal.

 _Clay blinked his eyes open and shut, his breaths coming is gasps, heart racing, pain raging through his body. He tried to steady his breathing and focus on moving, but every time he tried, the ground around him was littered with bullets. He pushed up, lifting his chest off the ground, blood pouring out of his mouth and dripping from his shoulder. The pain was localized in his right side, causing him to collapse back to the ground. He managed to roll to his back, hearing noises in the distance. Then suddenly a face came into view above him, and he could just barely make out the features. The the voice came._

" _Hang on man! I got you! Hang on!" Brian...it's Brian, Clay thought. He felt a hand wrap around a strap of his vest, and then he was moving. They stopped abruptly when another round of gunfire rang out. Brian hit the ground, shielding Clay from the bullets. He pulled him behind a boulder, making sure they were covered, then tried the radio again._

" _...to many of them…..pinned down….get to high ground…..Spenser….how bad?" Clay could make out clips of the other voices on his radio as he tried desperately to clear the fog as the shots continued._

" _H..hey. Brian…..Brian, you gotta leave me. I'm dead weight… I'll…" Clay stuttered, but was cut off._

" _No. No chance! Your not getting rid of me that easy. No man left behind!" He answered adamantly. Neither of them knew how much internal damage Clay had. Of he got his way, he could be dead in minutes._

" _Your one stubborn SOB, you know that right?" Clay joked, forcing a weak smile._

" _Yea, you can thank me later." Brian said, carefully sticking his head up to look at the enemy forces around them. His attention was brought back when Clay coughed, sending another mouthful of blood down the front of his uniform, pain rattling his chest. He saw Brian's face change, and he got a look of determination in his eye._

" _You stay with me, your hear? I'm getting us out of here. I've got you." He said. Just before he slipped into the darkness, he felt himself being hoisted up onto a pair of strong shoulders._

"You doing alright sir?"

"Hm? Oh, yea I'm fine. Just got lost in another time." Clay answered with a sigh.

"Well were all finished. What do you think?" Dan asked.

"Wow. That's perfect. Thank you." Clay said, looking at all the detail in his new tattoo in the mirror.

"No, thank you!" The two shook hands, Clay paid for the new ink, then left.

 **Later…**

Clay pinned the last pin onto the shirt of his dress blues and straightened his tie before walking out of the bathroom. Stella stood in the mirror putting earrings in. She turned and smiled when he walked over and put his hat snugly on his head. The dark red dress fit the occasion and her perfectly.

"You ready? I know you hate these." She asked.

"It's not the idea of the day I hate, it's the fact it even has to exist. All the time I think about how many of the guys I do anything just to have one more beer with, but I guess today is closest thing to it." Clay said with a sigh. Stella nodded, hugging him close. She hated seeing him like this. She could see the tiny silver chain that peaked out from under the collar of his white shirt that led to Brian's dog tags that hung around his neck each Memorial and Veterans day. She pulled away, and they walked towards the car.

 _ **/**_

Clay stood stock still, focusing everything on his movements, making sure they were perfectly in sync with his team members around him. They all stopped and waited for the signal, and then there it was. The 21 gun salute. He watched the American flags that were placed next to the graves as they blew in the warm spring wind. Minutes later, the ceremony was finished, and he walked through the crowd shaking hands with many of the people in the crowd. He found Stella, and the two excused themselves, walking to a certain spot in the cemetery.

Stella kept her distance, letting him have a few moments alone. Clay took his hat off and loosened his tie, looking down at the gravestone in front of him. He knelt down and brushed the dirt off it, then stood up again.

"Hey man. Sorry I haven't been back to visit in awhile, works been crazy. You know how that goes. Anyway, it's Memorial day, so have a beer with Echo team for me. Oh, and Stella brought these for you. I've been taking your advice, and so far, so good." He said, and laid a bouquet of red and blue flowers next to the flag. He stood in silence for a while.

"Take it easy up there." He said, then straightened into a salute.

 **Later…**

"Man I hate wearing ties! Always feel like it's chockin' me. And that hats way to tight!" Clay chuckled and handed Sonny a beer as he walked out of the house unto the backyard.

"He does this every time." Ray said, rolling his eyes with a smirk.

"Hey, maybe it's all that hot air you got stuck up there that's making your hat feel small, because mine fits just fine!" Jason said with a laughing.

"Oh yea?" Sonny challenged playfully. Clay looked around the yard, and couldn't help but think about how blessed he was.

"Foods ready! Everyone gather round!" Eric said, and everyone circled up. Ray hoisted his daughter onto his shoulders, Cerberus trotted over with Jessie in tow, who stood beside Brock, and wrapped her arm around him. Sonny pulled his hat off, knowing a speech would follow. Jason put his hands on Mikey's shoulders, Trent and Savannah stood next to Davis and Mandy, and Stella paused her conversation with Naima and came to stand next to Clay.

"Don't get me wrong, I love me a good burger off the grill, and Sonny's homemade ribs are incredible, but that's not what we're here for today. We honored Echo Team when we finally got justice for them, so today, let's remember their lives and the great men they were, along with Brian, Nate, and every other man and woman who made the ultimate sacrifice for us and for this country." Blackburn said.

"Hooyah!" Sonny yelled, lifting his beer up in a toast, and the others answered immediately.

"Alright, let's eat!" Eric said, and the conversation and happy commotion resumed.


	14. Chapter 14

**No man left behind**

Clay blew out another breath, willing himself to keep going. He stopped for a moment and readjusted the body on his shoulders, dropping the weight lower to ease the aching in his back. He heard the security guards yelling, and stopped while they rushed over after realizing he was one of theirs. He heard one of them calling for a medic and trying to get his attention. He heard. And yet none of it felt...real. it felt as though he was standing outside of his body watching everything happen. He wanted to move, wanted to listen to what they were saying to him, to answer, but he couldn't. The whirlwind of faces mixed with heat exhaustion and the toll that the last few days had taken on his body spun his head in circles. Then he felt the weight being lifted off of him, and panic took over.

"N…..no! NO! S…!" Clay stammered, finally able to move as the out of body experience ended, and his mind seemingly collided back with his body. With things beginning to feel normal again came pain. Sharp and stabbing, Clay turned his head to the source, expecting to see a knife sticking in his flesh.

"Hey. Hey! **Clay**! I need you to relax, your on the base, your safe!" Commander Blackburn said, trying to calm the man. He was obviously concussed and very out of it. Clay heard the voice and his mind finally decided to cooperate, and he registered it as that of Blackburn. Even just the slight movement of his head caused it to pound as though someone had his skull in a compactor.

"Can you hear me Spenser? Let's get you checked out by a doctor, ok?" Blackburn said.

"...'m….f...fine…" Clay said, becoming more aware of his surroundings for a moment. He looked to where they had laid Sonny onto the stretcher, and were peeling the blood soaked clothes off of his body.

"Ok, let's let a doctor tell us that for sure. Clay? Get me another medic! Clay!" He heard his name called, but as quickly as the snap of awareness had come, it was gone again, and the Commanders face faded to black. Blackburn caught the young soldier and gently lowered him to the ground. He pulled his helmet off and looked on as the medics checked his vitals under his beat red sunburnt skin.

"He's having a heat stroke, we need to get him cooled down as quickly as possible. Let's go!" The lead doctor said. They carefully lifted him onto a stretcher, then rushed the two soldiers off towards the base hospital. As they sprinted away with them, they passed the remaining members of Bravo team.

"How'd they get here? What's wrong with them?" Ray asked as they crowded Eric.

"From what the guard said, Spenser came in with Sonny on his shoulders." Blackburn said, and watched the surprise on their faces.

"How bad?" Jason asked.

"Sonny took a bullet to the abdomen. They said it looked like he had lost a lot of blood. Clay had hyperthermia and what looked like a few broken bones. His clothes were torn like he'd been run through a shredder. Must've found some nasty thorn bushes." Eric said.

"You mean to tell me that the kid carried Sonny... _Sonny_ the whole way here from wherever they were? We lost them about 10 hours from base, it's a miracle it didn't take them longer to get back." Trent said, saying what everyone was thinking. It's not that they thought Clay was weak, but more that they knew from team training that Sonny was 218 pounds of sheer muscle, and the hardest of the group to lift.

"And knowing Quinn, he probably pitched a fit to." Ellis said, shaking her head.

"Spenser probably had to knock him out to even get Sonny to let him carry him." Davis said with a small laugh.

"Talk about going through hell!" Brock said.

"Their home now. Everything will be fine." Jason said, trying to reassure himself just as much as the rest of them.

 **Later…**

Sonny took a deep breath, his brain soon registering a change in smells as the fog that had been hanging in his head for the last few days finally begun to clear. He quickly realized he was no longer in the desert, as he now felt cushions under him, and felt the cool light of a hospital room. _Hospital room? Spenser must've gotten us back. But how? He wasn't doin' too hot himself..where is he? Spen…._ Thoughts raged through the soldiers mind as he remembered the kids cherry red skin, slurred speech, and how yet he somehow wasn't sweating a drop. Instinct told him he had to check on the younger man, make sure his team was ok. He pushed himself up, trying to sit up straight when a stabbing pain flooded his abdomen, filling his head with dizziness and a nauseating pounding. His sudden movement and deep grunt of pain brought the focus of the person to his right in the chair.

"Easy now, take it easy. Your back at base." Sonny sighed, and laid his head back against the pillow, recognizing the voice. He wanted to respond, but that would first require the pain to ease a bit, and the worry to stop doing laps in his head. He had one hand over the bandage on his stomach where beneath it lay a bullet hole situated perfectly between his rows of abs, directly center mass. With the other, he reached up and pushed a small button he knew would be on his IV, sending a fresh dose of pain meds into his bloodstream. He started to relax as the pain was dulled by the medication. He looked around him, then finally answered.

"Spenser?" He asked, trying to settle back into the soft mattress.

"Clay? You know how he is… he's tough. He'll be just fine." Davis said stiffly.

"Now I may be the muscle of the team, but that don't mean I can't tell when someone's lyin'. Come on now Davis!" Sonny said in an annoyed voice.

"A few broken ribs, shattered shoulder blade, and a concussion." Davis replied after a pause of awkward silence when a nurse walked in to check his stats.

"There's something you ain't tellin' me." Sonny said, a hearing an edge of disguise in her voice.

"The doctors can't get him to wake up." She said with a sigh.

"What do you mean? It's just a few broken bones right? What's wrong with him?" Sonny asked, confused.

"He has a history of high fevers, and this is the third time he's spiked a fever of 104°F or higher. The doctors are worried there could be internal damage this time. You two were literally being cooked alive out there. His skin is so burnt that it blistered. They've been waiting for you to wake up so they could ask you questions about…. Everything. Fact of the matter is, we're all kind of dumbfounded about what happened after you went down. Do you remember anything?" She asked. Sonny paused as his tired mind quickly took him back to the mission, the fire fight. They had been on a recon mission to recover the remaining members of Delta Team after they had gotten separated in the rocky Taliban mountain terrain.

" _Sniper!" Sonny heard the frantic yell from Clay who was behind him. They pair was on overwatch, making sure their men were safe. Before he could dive out of the way, time slowed, and he felt the bullet tear a hole in his vest, then the same in his stomach. He felt his knees buckle, and soon the sand was all around him. Sonny heard his name screamed with panic, and Clays face materialized above him._

" _Bravo one this is Bravo six, do you read?" Clay yelled into the comms. Nothing but static answered._

" _Bravo one come in!" Nothing._

" _TOC, this is Bravo six, we've got a man down!" Clay yelled. He pulled his gloves off, waded them into a ball, and after gracelessly ripping off Sonny's vest, he pressed then hard onto the new bullet hole. Sonny groaned, noises fading in and out._

" _God….h...hate getting shot! So….d..damn annoying!" Sonny said over the pain that was vibrating through his stomach._

" _I swear to god your the weirdest person I've ever met!" Clay shook his head at the Texans remark. He was spilling blood, and he's annoyed by it? Then suddenly, everything around them went silent. No more gun fire. Sonny managed to pick his head up and look around them. The enemy was gone….but so was their team. They had left, not knowing two of their men were missing. Now they were all alone in the desert with only a little water between the two of them.._

"Look who's awake! Welcome home." Sonny was snapped out of his daydream when the door opened and Jason, Ray, and Eric walked in. "How're you feeling?" Commander asked.

"Like I just spent a week lost in the desert with a bullet hole in my stomach." Sonny said, his mind quickly returning to Spenser. As if on cue, a doctor walked in.

"Hello Mr. Quinn, good to see you awake. How are you feeling?" Dr. Hoskins asked.

"Pain meds sure are a blessing is all I can say. And please, call me Sonny. Mr. Quinn is my father." Sonny replied, eliciting a smirk and a few eye rolls from his teammates.

"Alright then. Well Sonny, you sure got lucky. The bullet was armor piercing, and a large caliber at that. Safe to say if you guys were out there any longer, there's a really good chance that you would have bled out." The doctor said.

"Guess it's a good thing the kid got us back here then." Sonny said, trying to act unfazed.

"It looked like you had some pretty sturdy bandages on when you came in. Where'd you get them from? You didn't have Derek." Ray asked curiously.

"Clay said he had stuck them in his bag that morning on a hunch. Something told him he would need it." Sonny answered.

"How far did you travel in a day?" Davis asked.

"Yea and how?" Jason asked.

"Was he injured right away?" Eric asked next, adding to the barrage of questions. Sonny wanted to answer, but he could feel his eyelids getting heavy, and his head beginning to swim with pain.

"We…..w..went as f..far as we c...could. I walked fo...r… some...o…." Sonny said, fighting the fatigue as much as he could. Dr. Hoskins quickly walked over at the sound of the slowed speech. He checked his vitals, then looked at the people around the bed.

"Alright that's enough questions for now. He needs to rest." Dr. Hoskins said, looking warily at the monitors.

"Is everything ok doc?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow when he saw the look on the doctors face.

"I'm….f..f...fine." Sonny said with an annoyed tone.

"You know, I'm really starting to hate that line." Blackburn said.

"His blood pressure is plummeting due to blood loss. He had a transfusion during surgery, now he needs to rest and let it circulate. Get a fresh line of fluids in here." the doctor said. The team backed up and watched as the nurse did as directed. Sonny watched as the tube was replaced on his IV. He felt himself slipping more and more, and finally decided to give in. Just before his eyes closed completely, he saw his teammates come over one by one and wish him well. For the first time in a few days, he could let himself sleep and know he would be safe.

 **Later…**

Sonny woke a few hours later to an empty room. He looked around, then looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearing 2am, and the doctors would have just switched to the night shift. He was about to go back to sleep when he heard a conversation through the curtain to his room. It was hushed, as to not wake the patients, so he was only able to catch bits and pieces of it. The first voice he heard was that of Dr. Hoskins, and the one responding had to be Blackburn. He began to listen more intently when he heard Clays name mentioned.

"Room 23."

"How bad?"

"...still hasn't woken up."

"Has the fever gone down?"

"Slightly. It's at 100 now."

"...still not good."

Sonny's thoughts raced with the new information. The kid had to wake up. Sure, they had had a bit of a rocky relationship in the beginning, mainly because he had a huge ego….maybe both of them did. But this, this was different. He'd seen the kid go down before, but he always fought to the bitter end. Even out there in the desert when they were separated from their team, and Sonny was bleeding out. Clay wouldn't give up. Not on himself or Sonny. He had seen it in his eyes. _Come on Clay._

"...if he doesn't wake up soon, that's a sign that there could be significant damage to his organs."

"Heaven forbid that happens, what would be the next step?"

"We would have to induce a coma so we could use more drastic measure to bring his temperature down." there was a moment of silence as all listening parties took in what they had just heard.

"Hopefully it won't come to that."

"Hopefully...thanks doc."

Sonny listened as the hall soon went quiet, as the sound of boots on tile got farther and farther away. For a while he lay staring at the pattern on the ceiling, his thoughts running wild. _Those bastards! I'll make them pay for this if I have to do it with my bare hands! To many brothers dyin' over here. I'll find 'em._ The heavy pain meds clouded his judgment, flooding him with erratic thoughts, and causing him to act on them. He pushed himself slowly into a sitting position. He gritted his teeth, then yanked the IV out of his arm, watching the fluids continue to flow from the needle. He then turned to the other side, and did the same with the IV in the opposite arm and hand. He glanced down at the patches on his chest that were monitoring his heart. This wasn't his first time breaking out of a hospital before he was allowed or ready to leave. He stood up on shaky legs, steading himself on the side of the bed. He looked behind him to ensure no one else was in the room, the skilfully flipped a dial or two and turned the machine off. Once he was sure no alarms would go off, he pulled the leads off of his chest. Then he turned, and stumbled out into the hallway, anger filing him more when he couldn't even stand straight.

As he got further down the oddly still hallway, logic seemed to catch up and override the anger that had controlled his thought just moments ago. He could see where the end of the hallway opened into the main lobby, soon followed by the exit that would lead him out into dusty climate of the base. With the newfound awareness came the pain. A lot of it. He felt a warm liquids running down his stomach, and looked down to see a fresh trail of blood.

"Sonny?! What the…?!" Ray exclaimed in shock. He blinked, making sure the sight in front of him really was happening. Sonny was walking towards him with a dazed and confused look on his face, and blood soaking the front of hospital gown. He got the man's side just in time to help lower him to the ground.

"Hey! I need some help over here!" He shouted, waiting for someone to respond. Seconds later, two nurses sprinted over when they saw what was happening. One grabbed a stretcher when he saw the blood. Ray looked up to see that Sonny was somehow still conscious.

"Hey! Keep looking at me! What on earth were you thinking?!" He asked. Sonny shrugged his shoulders. The nurses tried to asses the damage as they wheeled him quickly back to his room with Ray in tow.

"I don't think he was. Not clearly anyway." One of the nurses said as they came into the room, motioning to the bag of meds that was supposed to last a lot longer than it had. Sonny lay still as they pulled off the soiled bandage and cleaned the area to look at the damage.

"Looks like he ripped the staples out of his intestines. After that, the stitches didn't stand a chance. Looks like it's back to surgery for you. Page Dr. Hoskins." The nurse said, looking at Sonny.

"What the heck man?! Seriously, what possibly went through your mind that made you think this was a good idea?" Ray asked with disbelief, annoyance, and a hint of worry.

"Clay… it's bad. They...they did this to him! I have to find… them!" He said.

"We will Sonny! As a _team!_ That's how we do things around here, remember? Not alone, and especially not with a bullet hole that's not healed yet! Dammit Sonny, we need you alive, so stop screwing around and get yourself better!" Ray said, anguish filling his voice. As much as he loved his job, he hated this part. He hated hospitals.

"Don't worry 'bout me." Sonny replied groggily. Ray shook his head and watched as they wheeled him away.

 **Later…**

 _Beep...beep…beep…_

 _What the? Is that…..Sonny?!_

 _Beep...beep...beep…_

 _Its...its an IED!_

 _Beep...beep...beep…_

"He's waking up!" Clay looked around him, his brain desperately trying to catch up with his surroundings. He tried to move, but his shoulder and head protested, causing him to lay as still as possible, groaning at the bright white lights in the room.

"Clay. Hey man, welcome back." Clay scrunched his brow. _That sounds like… Jason. Where am I?_

"Relax. Your in the base hospital." Jason said, as if he could hear his thoughts.

"How...Is..is Sonny…?" Clay finally managed to get out a few words, pulling away the oxygen mask with a stiff hand.

"Alive and well, thanks to you. How much do you remember?" Jason asked curiously.

"The mission… Sonny getting shot. You guys leaving without..us. Seems ironic if u ask me. And...and now I'm...here." Clay replied, still confused. Jason flinched at the words, feeling guilt from a situation he knew he couldn't have controlled.

"So you don't remember how you got back to base?" Jason asked. Clay shook his head in response.

"I guess you were pretty out of it. The guards at the front gate were about to shoot you when they finally saw your camo and that flag. You stumbled in with Sonny on your shoulders. That took some grit." Jason explained.

"I.. I kind of remember Blackburn talking to me. How long were we out there?" He asked.

"Eight days. From what we gathered from Sonny, which isn't much, at least 3 of those days, you guys were in the thick of Taliban territory. Nothing short of a miracle that you got both of you back here alive." the older man said. They both took a moment to let everything sink in.

"What...what happened out there? I mean, how'd we get seperated? I tried my comms but...nothing happened." Clay inquired. He was doing his very best to not assign blame, but honestly, he felt a little betrayed. _There was a good reason for it. Right?_ He watched Jason chew on the inside of his lip, something he did every time he knew he had to admit he had made a mistake, which everyone knew he avoided. But then, they all did. After a long sigh, Jason answered.

"We finally got Sullivan and Red, got them loaded, and they- they started coming out of nowhere. Red was messed up bad, sun made him delirious. He came at me, got me good and somehow ripped my comms out. By the time I realized it was gone, Ray was already calling for you guys. You didn't answer, and I thought maybe...I don't know, I knew we had to go. Had to practically drag Ray into the truck. It...It was my call. And it's my fault your in this bed." Jason said, nearly choking on the last line. He couldn't look at the kid. He had heard the doctors. He almost died. Another one on him. What was wrong with him. Clay processed it all in his mind, studying the Chief's face, the hair that looked like it had greyed even more in the last few days.

"All cards on the table, everything that happened? It sucked. A lot. There were a few times when I didn't think we'd both get back, if at all. But I never questioned you. Neither of us did." Clay said. Jason looked up finally, and from the sincerity on the kids face, he knew it was the truth.

"That doesn't mean Sonny won't let you have it." Clay said with a hint of a smirk.

"Don't I know it!" Jason laughed.

 **Four days later…**

 _Clay scanned the desert around them, keeping his breathing hushed. The area was crawling with Taliban, and with Sonny's condition getting worse, they couldn't afford to be spotted. He looked up at the sky, and counted how high the sun sat, calculating what time it was. Three more hours until they would finally have the cover of night, until they would finally be safe to move, until they would be comfortable. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Then his eyes caught up with his senses as he spotted the group of four Taliban men walking towards them. He tried to stay calm, and slowly lowered his hand to his weapon. Just when he thought they would be fine, he heard them men start shouting and pointing at them. Clay cursed, the grabbed Sonny and pulled his arm around him._

" _Wh...what?" Sonny muttered._

" _Shit! We gotta move! Come on, we gotta go." Clay answered, and took them both to their feet in one swift move. As the pair made an effort to run, bullets kicked dust in their face. Clay spun sideways, firing behind behind them, desperately trying to hit a target._

" _S...save…the...a..amo!" Sonny yelled over the bullets whizzing around them._

" _The amount of amo we have won't matter if were dead!" He yelled back, then finally saw what they were running for. A large rock pile with the perfect divot behind it. Clay threw Sonny behind it as gently as he could in the heat of the moment. Once he saw that he was out of the line of fire, he turned to see how many were still pursuing them. He thanked God when he saw that he had managed to cut the number in half, but then stopped when he saw that they were now coming faster. He fired another round as the men got closer, halving the number once again. The last one charged him, and Clay raised his gun to fire, panic and anger filling him when he felt it jam. He tossed it next to Sonny, knowing he'd have to take care of this the old fashioned way. As the man got closer, he somehow managed to knock the gun from the opponents hands, and catch him on the side of the face with his fist. The two battled fiercely, blood from both parties dripping onto ground. What Clay forgot was how much the exhaustion had kicked in, and was quickly overpowered by the native. He felt hands wrap around his neck, and then he was lifted off the ground. He felt himself fly backward and slam into the rocks behind him. He could hear his bones snapping as he soon hit the ground with a thud. He fought consciousness from the impact of his head on the rocks, trying to figure out which of the barrels he was staring down would be the one that killed him. As expected, there was soon a loud bang._

Clays eyes flew open, and he shot up straight in the hospital bed, wires and blankets flying everywhere.

"Woah! Easy man! Take it easy." Ray said with surprise, looking at the young soldier who was sweating profusely with a look of terror in his eyes. As he started to get his bearings, he groaned in pain and reached for his shoulder. Ray quickly helped guide him back to the pillows, and fixed the disheveled bed.

"What's happening up there?" Ray asked calmly.

"What do you mean?" Clay asked, closing his eyes and shortly and trying to slow his breathing.

"You were having a night terror. What was happening?" Ray asked again. Clay studied Ray's expression. He had the same steady, sure look as usual. He was the rock of the team, the one that was always level headed and there, ready for anything. Clay knew there was nothing he could say that would catch the man off guard, but still he hesitated. And even in the awkward moments of silence, he could see the man waiting patiently, his calm and collected expression wavering not once.

"We was back in the desert. Those Taliban guys found us. I killed three, but the one still got to us. I tried to fight him off, but he was stronger. I could hear my bones snapping, then his gun. He could be killed me, but he hesitated. Something….something kept him from doing it." Clay said, spilling it all. Ray listened quietly, but inside his blood boiled.

"How'd you get away?" Ray asked, trying to keep him talking.

"I…I didn't. Sonny shot him. Saved my life."

"And then you returned the favor." Ray answered.

"I guess so." Clay said, rubbing his forehead and trying to relax, his mind still raging. There was a few moments of quiet before the door opened, and Dr. Hoskins walked in.

"Good, your awake! How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Uh...good.." Clay answered, slowly getting a grip. Ray looked on from the corner.

"Good. I'm going to check you over, and if everything looks ok, you'll be released." Hoskins said. Clay nodded his response, and did as he was told for the entire exam.

"Well Mr. Spencer, your healing nicely. No traces of the fever left. Now, you won't be able to return to duty until that shoulder heals up, but you won't be in here, and you'll be able to help out your team around the base." the doctor said. Clay smiled and looked around. Ray returned the smile, happy that at least one of the two was out of the woods. A nurse came in and unhooked Clay from the monitors and carefully removed his IV's. He then signed and filled out a pile of papers, and happily walked out of the hospital with Ray next to him. They stepped out of the front doors into the dusty climate once of again. Ray walked down the path, pausing when he finally realised Clay wasn't following him. He turned around to see the man standing stock still, hands in his pockets, staring off into space. Ray walked back to him with a confused and slightly concerned look on his face. We're they sure he was ready to leave?

"Clay? You good man?" Ray asked curiously.

"Huh? Uh...yea. Yea, no I'm good. It's just.. It's the first time I've been outside since everything. Shouldn't be this difficult." Clay said, starting to walk again. Ray nodded, then led them on their way again. They walked a little farther into the base, into the more populated area, when another team jogged past them from behind. Clay nearly jumped out of his skin, freezing up. He looked at them again. Each time he blinked, the scene around him changed from a bustling base full of soldiers, to the middle of a dead silent desert, with Sonny's blood still running down his side, soaking into Clays torn shirt. The string of explicits flowed into his mind as the moment where they stumbled through the patch of pickers in an effort to move before they were spotted replayed itself in his brain.

"Hey. Look at me, your safe. Your not out there anymore. Take a deep breath." Ray said, putting a careful hand on Clays good shoulder, trying to ground him. Ray knew exactly how Clay was feeling right now, and he hated it. He wished there was more he could do for the kid, but knew he just needed time. Clay eventually nodded, and blew out a breath, his eyes opening to show him that he was indeed safe on the base. Now if only he could stop shaking.

 **Later…**

"Sure feels good to be back in here! Where to?" Sonny asked, flopping down into his usual chair around the table in ops, ignoring the twinge of pain the reckless move earned him. He looked over at Clay, who was fusing with the strap of the sling across the back of his neck, sitting right on top of a row of stitches that were itching like crazy. He nodded his agreement, to busy with his fixing the itch to say anything.

"It's good to have you two back. Didn't feel the same. And neither of you are leaving this base until I get a clean bill of health from Dr. Hoskins and Dr. Wilson." Blackburn said. Ray leaned back in the chair, waiting for the fit that was sure to follow from Sonny. Sure enough, Sonny's brow scrunched, and he nearly spit out his toothpick.

"Dr. Wilson? Why the heck do I gotta get cleared by her? I didn't the last three times I was shot!" Sonny protested.

"Because those times didn't involve you losing half the blood in your body after getting seemingly left behind by your team. And also because I said so." He answered the stubborn soldier. Those words still made Jason wince slightly. Before Sonny could run his mouth anymore, Clay cut in.

"This all for us?" he asked, pausing his twitching momentarily to point at the large model of the desert hills on the table in front of them. He could feel eyes watching him from behind but ignored them.

"Yea. We spent almost every night in here, trying to figure out where you could be, even though it was pretty pointless." Ray replied.

" _How the hell is a model going to help us find them? Have we forgotten this is the desert? We don't have a big enough table for all the ground we need to cover!" Trent pointed out, saying what they had all been thinking for the last hours that they'd spent staring at it._

" _Why don't we send out a drone, see if we can't get a view on them since we can't get a clear satellite image." Brock suggested, rubbing his forehead with fatigue. They were exhausted. They had been staring at the model and racking their brains trying to find a way to get their men back. So far, nothing._

"Clay for the love of god stop messing with your shoulder! You keep picking at those stitches and I promise you I will tape your hands to this table!" Davis said, interrupting the story to scold the soldier, who finally stopped with a huff of annoyance.

" _Because that's Taliban territory. It wouldn't last minutes." Mandy said, exasperated._

" _Winds in the desert are the highest they've been since we got here. Even if they do have somewhere to hunker down, they could still suffocate on sand. We don't have time to sit and stare at this stupid replica!" Ray shook his head._

" _We have no idea where they are, and definitely not enough resources to just blindly look for them." Blackburn said._

" _So that's it? We just let them die out there?!" Jason asked, racked with guilt. The room went silent at the question, and stayed that way when Hayes slammed his fist on the table, and stormed out._

Jason looked down at the purple and green bruises that wrapped around the knuckle of his pinkie finger and down the side of his hand. He looked at the two men sitting across from him, as if to make sure that they were indeed back, and alive, and that he hadn't been the cause of their deaths. He couldn't have handled that.

"Well boys, as much as I'd love to have Bravo Three and Six back, I can't allow it. Dr. Wilson is ready for you. Sonny, your up first, Clay you'll wait outside." Commander said. Sonny made it very clear on the way out that that was the last place he wanted to go. Clay figure Sonny had the complaining department covered, and more than that, his head hurt and he didn't have the energy for it.

The two men walked towards the shrinks office. Clay was a few steps behind, and the awkward silence hung over them like the thick humidity in the Afghan air. Sonny finally decided to slow down. This was the first time the two of them had been alone and in their right minds since the desert. He wasn't one for emotions, but this needed to happen.

"Alright look, you know I'm not good at all this. I know I bust your balls a lot, but your a damn good soldier, and you showed it. Even after you were hurt, there was a determination in your eyes. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you." Sonny said after a while. Clay wanted to interject, but he knew this was rare.

"What was that thing we said at the beginning of all this? No man left behind, right? And besides, this is a brotherhood. I got your six not matter how many times you throw your socks on the floor and fumigate the entire cabin." Clay said, ending it with a smile. Sonny pulled mock offenses, but they were soon laughing together once again, and finally the world seemed balanced again.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Hey guys, I know I'm a little late with this one, but this idea popped into my head last week during the 4th of July festivities, and I knew I had to make it happen! Hope you enjoy, leave a review and let me know what you think!_**

 **Independence Day**

Jason's eyes flew open as the door swung around and hit the wall behind it. He knew what was happening without even thinking, and knew who would be standing in the cabin he and Ray shared without even looking. Just as quickly as the commotion had started, it stopped, and the door was closed, but not before the two men were covered in red, white, and blue silly string and confetti.

"Every year. It's a good thing we need him." Ray said with a sigh, but Jason could see the smile on his face.

/

Clays reaction mirrored that of the Master Chief, though his was a bit more surprised, as he was still fairly new to the team. He looked up from the bunk with a tired and confused look on his face when Sonny burst into the cabin with an obnoxious yell.

"Mornin' boys, bet we all know what today is! Get out ya camo and ya flags 'cause it's Independence Day! WHOOOO!" Then came the round of silly string and the confetti cannons, turning the room into patriotic mess.

"He does this every year. Better get used to it my man!" Brock said, looking over at Clay. "First ones always the worst." Trent laughed as the younger soldier frowned and pulled the stinky string out of his beard. Clay picked up his phone and turned on the screen. 12am. It was indeed July 4th. He loved this holiday, but apparently not as much as the man in front of them. He had nothing on but a pair of American flag shorts and cowboy boots, accompanied by his cowboy hat and gun belt. Instead of having the American flag draped over his shoulders was the Texan flag, because they all knew the former was far to respected on this base by every one of them. They might wear clothes with it on, but the flag-that was a whole different ballpark.

They all slowly sat up in their bunks, about to settle back in and let sleep come again, when their pagers simultaneously went off. Without hesitation, they jumped up and were soon headed out the door. Cerberus woofed happily and nuzzled Sonny's hand after Brock slid the flag bandana over her head. The four met up with Jason and Ray on the way, and filed into the room together and took their respective seats around the table, Blackburn chuckling at Sonny's attire. The man sure loved his country.

"I know it's a holiday, and we're all anxious to get home to our families celebrate, especially after our unexpected extended stay. Don't worry, we'll be there soon enough. We've got one last order of business. This is a small terrorist cell known to crawl out of hiding around American holidays. We received credible intel that they have planned an attack on Washington D.C. boasting it to be bigger than anything we've ever seen before." Eric said, pictures of the group appearing on the screen behind him. A hush fell over the men as they thought over the extra four months they had spent here. They were only supposed to be here for the typical six months, but due to a whole mess of diplomatic issues as long as plenty within the Navy itself, they had been stuck. They were desperate to see their families, pining for some sense of home, and a break. All that aside for the moment, their protective instincts kicked in, and making the hair on the back of Jason's neck stand up.

"Lucky for us, we know where their going to be. Each time they show themselves, they pay a visit to their friend here, the friendly neighborhood explosives dealer to supply." Mandy said, pointing to the maps on the screen along with more pictures.

"So we get to send 'em to meet their maker? We doin' this on their turf or ours?" Sonny asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his southern twang somehow getting heavier, as it did whenever he talked about taking down the enemy.

"How big is this group? And how do we know we'll get them all at once?" Clay asked, taking the words out of Rays mouth.

"We have informants in the town their based out of. Even though their views aren't that uncommon, they haven't gained many new members. I guess that little twin is finally coming around and opening their eyes." Mandy said.

"That or they just like feeling of american fed money in their pockets." Ray said, Trents huff echoing his agreement.

"Either way, we know they are a tight-knit group of no more than 30 people. They'll be meeting their dealer at this building in four hours." Ellis finished.

"Alright. Based off of their threats, we have been authorized to shoot to kill. As far as the brass is concerned, you guys are the only ones that live through the day. I mean that. They might not be many of them, but they are very dangerous. None of them go anywhere without a suicide vest or belt, so do not hesitate dropping them. Watch each other's backs, I want all you at the base back home for the cookout tonight." Blackburn said, making eye contact with each team member. They nodded to each other, and then listened for the tactics and each suggested strategies for the mission.

 **Later…**

"TOC this is Bravo one. We have eyes on the target building." Jason said.

"Bravo one, can you confirm that there are people inside?" Commander asked.

"TOC this is Bravo three, that's an affirmative. Satellite got anything funky?" Sonny replied before Hayes could. He had a clearer view to the inside of the building than the Master Chief as he brushed the piece of his ghillie suit out of his eye. Since they had no choice but to make this an early morning hit, and were using up the last bit of darkness they had, Clay had pulled out his perfectly made suits for each one of them.

"I count 27...29...30. 30 men in there. Just like we thought." Jason heard Davis' voice over the radio.

"Affirmative TOC. RPG is ready." Jason said, looking over to Ray who had loaded the middle onto the launcher. Just as Davis begun to relax, she saw movement in the house that was going… towards the door! They were leaving the building! She zoomed in, and the two other members of TOC crowded around her, Blackburn during under his breath as he saw the men coming our, carrying weapons.

"Bravo one we've got a situation. Something tipped them off, their coming out. Their armed." Davis said.

"Dammit!" _of course, because why wouldn't something go wrong right before we're supposed to leave?!_ Jason thought, putting together a plan in his head.

"Let em'! The kid an' I'll pick em' off no problem!" Sonny said, the ego exuding from the texan nearly suffocating the rest of them.

"Ray, take out the building. We'll find the ones who make it out." Jason said.

"Bravo one, I don't think I need to remind you that that wasn't the plan. We need to ensure they are all dead! You guys are way too close to that building! You blow it, and you'll all feel some of the blast as well!" Mandy said, jumping into the conversation."We don't have much of a choice! Do it Ray!" Jason said. Eric shook his head and Davis raked her teeth across her bottom lip, praying they weren't about to watch their team go flying. Ray answered his understanding, and balanced himself as the rocket flew from the launcher towards the building. Bravo team went to their knees, shielding their bodies as best they could as the blast violently flung debris at them. Before the dust had time to settle, they jumped to attention, picking off each of the squirters who had charged out of the building towards them. Clay nearly laughed at the battle cry from the texan across the desert as he picked off members of the cell as fast as he possibly could. He was enjoying this way to much.

"Take that f* $%^s! It's independence day!" Sonny yelled, the comms picking it up loud and clear. Jason rolled his eyes along with the three people listening in.

Minutes later, the dust had cleared, and the terrorist cell had been effectively taken down. Jason looked around through his nods, and did a head count. Five helmets. Prefect.

"All Bravo call signs sound off, how are we?" Commander Blackburn asked, waiting with baited breath during the seconds of radio silence that felt like hours.

"Bravo one checking in."

"Bravo two responding."

"Bravo three alive 'n kickin'!"

"Bravo four checking in."

"Bravo five coming in."

"Bravo six here."

"All good on our end. It's getting pretty light out here, and it won't take long until our friends nearby get wind of this. How far is our exfil?" Jason asked, searching the hills instinctively for threats.

"Should be there any minute!" Davis said. Soon, the buzz of propellers were heard overhead, and the team climbed into the birds and took off.

 **Later…**

Jason and the team did one last lap around their part of the base, saying their goodbye-for-now's, and each saluting their monument to echo team on the way out, per tradition. They loaded the buses and drove towards the airstrip where they boarded a plane with about 34 other soldiers who were leaving at that time. Apparently there was some order from high up that said they all had to go home on this plane, but hadn't given them reason for it. Ray buckled himself into the seat, put his headphones on and closed his eyes, picturing his wife and children, and the fireworks they'd be enjoying in just a few short hours.

 **A plane ride later…**

Clay stretched and yawned, looking around him as he felt the plane touching down on an air strip an ocean away from where they had taken off.

"Welcome home." Brock said with a broad smile. Cerberus stood from where he had been sleeping at his owners feet, as did the bomb dogs of the multiple other teams on the plane. The all stood up and walked off, taking in the sight of the luscious fields of green corn and golden wheat that surrounded them. Sonny took a long, deep sniff, a smile stretching across his face.

"Ahhh….America." He said, slowly letting out the breath as they walked through the tunnel off of the plane.

"Smells like freedom!" Trent said, making everyone laugh, even the fellow soldiers around him from outside of Bravo team.

"So why'd we have to take this plane home?" one of the soldiers close to them asked curiously to no one in particular.

"Your guess is as good as mine man. Maybe they just wanted us off that base so badly they wanted us all shipped out at the same time." another answered. Jason nodded and shrugged at the man. Even Blackburn hadn't seemed to know why, but that's what they were told, so that's what they did.

Clay raised an eyebrow to his teammates as they got closer to the airport gates, and heard a commotion, what sounded like...like cheering. Then just as they were about to step out, he remembered what day it was, and it all began to make sense. The doors opened, and Bravo team stepped out into the airport terminal to the flash of cellphone cameras, cheers, flags waving, and applause. The airline had organized a crowd of people to welcome home the soldiers on this warm, sunny July 4th. Ray scanned the crowd, his already large smile growing when he caught sight of a handmade sign that was flapping madly in the hands of his daughter. When they finally made eye contact, the sign was quickly thrown to the side as she ran into his arms. He got down on a knee and held his arms out to catch her.

"Hey peanut! I missed you!" He said, pulling back so he could study her face. It was insane how much of a spitting image she was of her mother. Speaking of which, he looked up to see Niama pushing the stroller towards him, and pulled her into a hug as well.

"Dad!" Jason found Emma as her voice reached his ears, and smiled back. She was quickly wrapped around him, Mikey following suit. Alana stood off in the distance with a small sigh, but a smile nonetheless. He was a hero to her kids, and that's all that mattered.

Cerberus wagged his tail so hard, his entire back end shook as he pulled against the leash in Brock's hands, leading his master in a beeline towards his other master. Jessie rubbed the dog lovingly, then put her hands on the sides of Brock's face, pulling him into a kiss.

Trent dropped his bags next to him as Savannah jumped with joy, melting into his arms with the miniature flag still in her hand. She pulled his hat off and fit it snugly over her auburn curls with a smile.

A smile erupted on Clays semi-stoic face as Stella wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as she could, for fear that if she let him go, he would slip away again. As if he was reading her mind, he leaned whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours always." Months ago, Stella would've been caught off guard by these words, but not anymore. As much as her pride didn't want to let her admit it, she was smitten with this soldier. Her soldier. She only pulled away for a kiss, then again let him pull her in close once again. It had been a long, tiring 10 months. Luckily, this deployment had gone a bit smoother than his first with Bravo Team, with few mishaps. But as Clay and Stella moved farther on in their relationship, the more he missed her when he was gone, and the same with her. He stood there, amidst all the cheering and applause, wishing he could press pause, and stay in this moment just a little longer. Stella finally pulled back, and let out a small giggle, muffling it with her hand when she looked at the red lipstick stain she had left on his cheek. She pulled out a wipe and cleaned it off while he smiled back at her.

Clay looked up to where Davis embraced Danny, and after a few moments alone, Danny shook hands with Sonny, welcoming him home also. The soldiers shook hands with strangers in the crowd who had lined to show their appreciation, and thanked the men for their service as they walked out of the airport and towards their cars.

 **Later…**

Jason stepped out of the shower and pulled on a pair of jeans with a patriotic shirt and his hat with the devgru symbol on the front. He walked out into the living room of his new apartment and called for his kids.

"Hey, you guys ready for the cookout?"He asked.

"Yea. Not that I don't want to go or anything, but you just spent almost a year with these guys, and now we're going to Uncle Ray's house for a cookout. Don't u get tired of them?" Emma asked casually.

"When you go through the things we have together, you don't get that luxury. And besides, they're family." he answered. With that, they headed out the door.

 **Later…**

Clay turned as Stella walked across the yard to stand next to him. She handed him a beer, and she studied the powerful structure of his face in the light of the tiki torches littered around the yard. They were sitting on a blanket in Rays yard, waiting for the fireworks to start. She had noticed the scratches and cuts on his face and neck earlier, but knew that if that was all he came home with, it was a blessing.

"Alrighty y'all ready for this?! We got the big ones tonight ladies and gents!" Sonny said, Stella laughing at the man who had a beer in one hand and a lighter in the other.

"Who decided we trust Sonny with explosives? We don't even do that at work!" Clay said playfully.

"Oh, so you think you could do better Mr. Spencer?" Sonny challenged.

"I don't know about better, but maybe more along the lines of like _not_ burning a giant hole in Ray's yard." Clay quickly snapped back, his smile growing as Trent spit out the sip of beer he had just taken in a fit of laughter, the others hoping him and waiting for Ray's reaction.

"Ok that was from a faulty fuse! Manufacturing mistake, not on me!" Sonny defended, remembering the face of their host as he had tried to keep his cool in front of his kids after the incident during the last firework show the group had done.

"Alright boys, you can unfluff tour feathers now. Let's get this show in the road my man!" Lisa said rolling her eyes. Sonny obliged, and they all settled in for a beautiful light show.

"Happy 4th everyone." Ray said happily as he looked at his daughter snuggled into his lap, and the baby monitor beside them. Man, he loved this country.


	16. Chapter 16

**Man's best friend**

Summary: Everyone knew Cerberus was an immensely valuable member of the team, and this mission would make sure they never forget it.

Brock pulled a container of macaroni salad out of the basket in front of him and listened intently as Jessie told him about her promotion. She had climbed the ranks in the culinary world, and had just earned the title of head chef at the town's fancy restaurant. As he sat on the blanket in the middle of the park, Cerberus at his feet, he couldn't help but think about how cliché they looked. But he didn't care. They may be cliché, but his little family was perfect.

"So when do I get to test out your new creations?" He asked, smirking when she rolled her eyes playfully at him.

"All that, and all you can think about is when you get to eat next? Your a mess! No "great job!" or "I'm so proud of you!". Nope, just when can I eat next." She joked, hitting him on the arm.

"I'm so proud of you honey! I really am! But how am I supposed to tell everyone how amazingly skilled you are when I haven't sampled everything you make?" he replied with a laugh. She was just about to answer when his phone started ringing. He could tell who it was without even looking to see.

"Hey." Brock answered the phone.

"Be there in 20." He said after a pause. Cerberus picked his head up and tilted his ears forward. He heard the change in Brock's tone, and stood to his feet. Jessie quietly packed up their lunch as she waited for him to hang up.

"Where to this time? Classified?" she asked.

"Nope, just not sure yet. Guess it's a good thing I keep a go bag in the truck." He said, standing up and helping her gather their things. After a short whistle, Cerberus was immediately at his hip, and the three of them walked towards the truck in the warm summer breeze.

 **Later…**

"Meet Manuel Perez. Venezuela's most recent kingpin in the local drug trafficking ring. Although these days, he's moved into the realm of explosives. Two days ago, he and his crew blew up an American trade ship in the Colombian sea. This is the third American ship, and the fifth ship of our allies." Mandy said, clicking through pictures and news footage of burning debris.

"We believes this was all a ploy to get the attention of the Cartels, and we were right. We received intel that the Cartel was indeed impressed, and are sending Perez a shipment of stolen weapons to help him further their cause. As of now, the only guns the group have are ones they've brought individually." Commander Blackburn said.

"Do we know where the weapons are coming from? And what kinds are we talking here?" Ray asked.

"Unfortunately, we do. They're ours. Or were, before they were stolen when the Cartel raided one of our military ships last month. Luckily, our guys fought back before the men could get to the heavy stuff below the deck. All they got were AK's and other low-level assault rifles." Blackburn answered.

"This happened last month? Why are they just now getting the weapons spread out? Why sit on them this long? They had to know we'd be looking for them." Brock questioned, Sonny motioning his agreement with Brocks question.

"Best guess is they were waiting to find a worthy buyer. That or they suddenly got in a pinch for money with the local law enforcement finally cracking down on their drugs." Davis chimed in.

"This is all well and good, but are we gettin' to the part where ya tell us where we come in yet?" Sonny asked, leaning his chair back.

"Yes, I am. You guys will be in the country to, quite frankly, wipe Perez and his group out as completely as you can, and then be there to intercept the the shipment and return it home. The less of our guns in the hands of our enemies, the better." Davis answered.

"Sweet, I'll pack my c4!" Sonny said with smirk.

"You sure about that? Pretty sure the Cartel would get a little suspicious if the building they were delivering the goods to was there when the went to bed and gone in the morning." Jason quipped, raising an eyebrow.

"And besides, you'll need it for cover. It's in a remote part of the jungle. As long as you enter in the cover of night and don't leave, nobody will know your there until it's too late. As long as all goes according to plan, you'll be in country a minimum of two days." Commander said. The feel of the room changed at the words as they got ready to be told when they would be leaving.

"Wheels up in 30."

 **Later…**

Brock shifted positions on the bench seat, getting comfy for the rest of the flight. Cerberus was sound asleep with his head on Brocks leg. He looked down and smiled. Ask anyone on the team and they would all agree that you would never find a creature on the earth as loyal as Cerberus was to his master. But right now, he looked less like a fierce military dog and more like a docile lap dog. He snapped a picture, ensuring the flash was off so he wouldn't wake him, and sent it to Jessie. Her response was typical: What an Angel! Be safe?. Brock turned the screen off and laid his head back against the wall, drifting off to sleep, not knowing that he would soon be more thankful for his companion than ever before. They all would.

 **In country…**

"Top level clear. Does anyone have eyes on Bravo five? I can't get a clear copy." Brock heard Jason's voice in his ear. He tried once again to respond, but the thick walls were interfering to much. The team had split half and half, Jason, Ray, and Trent had taken the top floors from the roof, leaving Brock, Sonny and Clay to clear the rest from the bottom up. Somewhere in the madness, Brock had gotten separated from the other two. He continued to search for Perez through the dark rooms

"Where's the man boy? Seak!" He said, even though he knew that would be easier said than done. They didn't have anything to give the dog a scent. Then by some miracle, he felt Cerberus stiffen suddenly, and he turned his head in the direction the dog was facing, and looked through his nods. He soon spotted the target. Unfortunately, Perez spotted him at the same time. Before Brock could react, he saw the man grab a weapon, and fire a deafening shot. The force of the bullet threw him backwards, pain exploding in his right side. His adrenaline somehow managed to keep him awake, and just after he hit the floor, he watched Cerberus' leash slip through his fingers as the dog took off across the dimly lit room. The muscles in his legs rippled as he ran, growling, towards the man his master had tried to apprehend. Brock watched the dog launch into the air, saliva flying from his open mouth, and snapping his jaw shut around the man's arm. The scream of agony bounced off the walls as he shook wildly, desperately trying to free himself from the grip of the animal. Time seemed to slow as Brock saw the man reach to the table behind him and grab something. The glint of the blade caught his eye as it flew towards Cerberus, hitting him in the vest repeatedly until it eventually found flesh.

"NO!" Brock screamed in terror as he watched blood drip from his dog. He feared the worst as he frantically yanked his pistol from the holster on his leg and aimed as best he could with his non-dominant hand, and fired. Perez dropped to the floor, the lethal shot hitting him square center mass. Sensing the enemy was dead, Cerberus released his grip and quickly ran back to his master. He whined not from pain but worry when he reached Brocks side. He nudged his face, as Brock had dropped his head to the floor after seeing the target was dead. The dog put his muzzle against his owners chin, and waited to feel the stream of air from Brocks nose on the side of his face. Once he was satisfied, he moved to the opposite side and begun carefully licking at the wound on Brocks shoulder, completely ignoring his own. Brock groaned at even the light sensation against the wound. He blew out a breath of determination, and forced himself up with one hand, pushing his back against the wall. He let out a yell of pain, and gritted his teeth. He looked down at the wound, and the pool of his blood on the floor. Luckily, he was taken out all the other men on the floor, leaving him safe, but alone. His head was spinning painfully, but he knew he didn't have much time. He sent up a quick prayer, and pressed the button of his comms.

"Nobody's seen him?" Jason asked Sonny as they gathered around. The entirety of the building had been cleared, except the basement. The rest of Bravo team had regrouped, and still no one had heard from Brock.

"No. It got crazy, and he split off. I tried to follow him, but this place is a damn maze!" Clay answered worriedly. Their thoughts were cut off when the comms finally crackled to life.

"B..br..bravo one...c….come in."

"Copy Bravo five! Where the hell are you?!" Jason answered, fear growing at the sound of the voice on the other end. Something wasn't right.

"Base….basement. I'm...I'm…..hit." Brock replied closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. He had never been as relieved to hear Jason's voice as he was right now. Sonny cursed as they all took off towards the stairs.

"Dammit! Hold on! We're coming to you!" Jason yelled into the comms as he sprinted down the stairs as fast as he could without falling, the others hot on his tail.

Cerberus tensed and showed his teeth, a low growl starting in his throat at the sound of thundering boots coming down the steps. He stood to his feet, putting himself between his master and whatever was coming towards them as flashlights flooded the room with light.

"Hey! Easy boy, easy." Clay said as they rushed towards their missing team members.

"Brock! Hey! Hey man, you with us?!" Ray asked, dropping to his knees beside their fallen comrade. He watched Brock's eyes roll open again.

"Give me some light here. Shit…." Ray trailed off when he saw the gaping wound on the top of Brocks shoulder. He grabbed the towel handed to him and shoved it hard against the wound.

"This would be why! That SOB used a shotgun with the biggest caliber shells he could find!" Sonny said, picking the shell off the floor.

"C..Cerb…." Brock stammered, his adrenaline wearing off.

"He's right here man. Hey, keep those eyes open." Ray said.

"N...no. Per..Perez. He...he slashed….him. Ce…..Cerb got a p...piece of him… af...after I… went down." Brock forced out. Clay immediately searched the dog at the words. He found a gash running the length of the dogs muzzle.

"He did get you, didn't he? It not too deep. He'll be ok. We need to worry about you right now." Clay said.

"Let's get him upstairs. Comms suck down here." Jason said.

"We need to make a stretcher. There's to many stairs to make him walk the whole way. He's already lost a lot of blood." Ray said, looking at the blood soaked rag he was holding against the wound. They quickly put one together from a mattress off of the bed, cutting holes in it and looping rope and duct tape through it. They carefully helped him onto it while Trent got a picture of Perez to later confirm he was deceased.

"Humph! Shooting shoulder blown to bits and still a damn good shot! You got him center mass!" Trent exclaimed in shock.

He then rejoined the team as they lifted their contraption off the floor while Sonny strapped Brock down carefully so he wouldn't slide on their incline, then they started their slow move up to ground level.

 **Later…**

The team finally reached one of the top floors, and found a clean, open room. Sonny drug a table to the center of the room where Brock would be safest, surrounded by his teammates. After he tested the strength, they laid the mattress down carefully. Trent peeled the cloth off of the wound and sighed.

"I need someone to hold pressure right here so I can see how bad it is." Trent said. He pulled scissors out of his bag and carefully cutting the sleeve of the shirt off so he could get a better look at the wound. Sonny stepped forward first, and put the towel exactly where he was told to, and pressed hard. His worry spiked when there was no response from the soldier.

"He's out." Sonny said, trying to weigh what his reaction should be by Trents body language.

"Good. He wouldn't want to be awake for what I'm going to have to do." Trent murmured.

"Can anyone get comms up in here?" Jason asked, pacing the room. They all shook their heads.

"And no one thought to pack a sat phone?!" The room went silent. It was broken suddenly by the sound of Trent cursing. All eyes went to him immediately, then to the ghostly looking figure on the table. _He's way to pale_ Sonny thought to himself, again trying his best to keep a level head. Trent pressed two fingers against the side of Brocks neck.

"He's lost way to much blood. I don't know who from, but he needs blood like 15 minutes ago, so we need to figure this out fast. Does anyone know his blood type?" he asked, waiting while everyone racked their brains.

"Take mine, I'm O-." Clay said without hesitating.

"Ok good. Grab the kit out my bag." Trent motioned for it as Clay walked over.

"Wait, you have a kit for blood transfusions?" Clay asked with surprise.

"I convinced the brass it was necessary after the Baghdad incident." Trent replied. Jason huffed, then looked at the look on the kids face.

"Before your time." Jason shook his head at the memories that came back.

Trent pushed a chair over and Clay sat down, producing his left arm. Trent stretched the band around his arm and tied it off tight, then flicked the bend of Clays elbow a few times to get his veins to show. Once he found one, he stuck the needle in and taped it down. He threaded the tube perfectly to meet with Brocks arm and repeated everything. Clay laid back against the wall and got comfy, knowing this could take a while. He took a sip of water to keep himself hydrated. As far as they knew, he was the only one in the room with viable blood for Brock, and the last thing they needed was for him to go down to. He watched Jason pace insecentaly, seemingly trying to find a way to fix everything as usual.

"There's gotta be something we can do! Isn't there any way we can get these comms up?!" Jason said, desperation clinging to the edge of his voice.

"We lost them as soon as we landed on top of this building, so unless you're planning on climbing a tree, were outta luck." Ray said, also trying to think up a way to reach TOC. They had no idea what was going on, and if they didn't tell them before exfil got there, they wouldn't have anything on board to take care of Brock. With the gaping shoulder wound and all the traveling they'd be doing, any number of things could go wrong.

"Damn! We gotta get this gear off him, and open a few windows and doors. He's burning up! We gotta get his temperature down so we can wake him up because if we don't, we won't be able to get fluids in him." Trent said, feeling the sweat-drenched skin of his patient. The team jumped into action, opening as many doors and windows as they could find, letting the cool night air rush in. Sonny loosened his grip on the towel, as the bleeding had finally slowed, and moved to help Jason pull off the tac vest and cut away the soaking wet fabric. Next went the utility belt, followed by his boots and socks. All the while, Cerberus sat at the foot of the table, watching intently as they tried desperately to save his master.

 **Silence in Top Of Command…**

Davis stared at the ISR video on the laptop in front of her, silently kicking herself.

"Still can't get them on the comms?" Mandy asked.

"I'll try again. Bravo one, come in. Bravo one this is TOC, I need a status report. Any Bravo call sign, come in." Davis called. Nothing but static. There was no movement on the video, they were doing as they were told, keeping their presence hidden.

"Maybe they're just keeping a low profile to protect their cover." Commander said, though even he wasn't convinced.

"I...I don't know. Something doesn't feel right. I can feel it in my gut. Somethings wrong, and we have no way of figuring out what. I shouldn't have let them leave without making sure they had the sat phones!" Davis said, pounding a fist on the table, then rubbing a hand over her face. Mandy flinched at the sound. Davis didn't show her emotions. She couldn't, her job didn't allow it. She also knew that when Davis had a gut feeling, she wasn't often wrong. Blackburn sat at the other set of monitors, stroking his beard. Davis was right. Something felt off, but what was It?

 **The next day…**

The first sense to return was hearing, and it came in the form of wind blowing through the room, and hushed voices talking around him. Then came the thick smell of sweat and damp air. He tasted the dryness of his mouth. The next sense to return was arguably the worst given the circumstances:feeling. The pain returned slowly, but it came back nonetheless. Finally the last of the five kicked in when he forced his eyelids open to look at his surroundings. When the graininess of the picture cleared, he focused on the face above him.

"I think he's coming around." a voice said. He soon placed it as that of Jason.

"Welcome back." Trent said, looking up from where he was tying off on last crude, temporary stitch. He didn't need it to look good, it only had to hold long enough to get Brock to the nearest hospital.

"Cerberus?" was the first raspy word out of his mouth.

"Hasn't left your side since we put you on this table." Jason said, looking to where the dog had jumped to attention at the sound of his owners voice.

"Wh….how long till the cartels get here?" Brock asked, trying to sit up. He immediately regretted the decision as his head starting swimming with pain. Three sets of hands were on him in seconds, gently pushing him back down.

"Woah there, take it easy. We'll worry about them, you worry about staying awake until we can get you outta here, how bout that?" Ray said. Their attention was quickly drawn from him when Cerberus suddenly stuck her nose in the air, then booked it out of the room. Clay was the first to really realize what was happening and called for the dog. He ran back to the doorway, pacing, a whine growing in his throat. Brock looked around at the team.

"He wants you to follow him! I think...i think he smells something." Brock said, reading his dog like a book. He had locked onto something, and was trying to warn them. Clay walked towards the dog, then soon picked up into a jog when Cerberus took off into a run. He used the daylight coming through the windows to guide him through the maze that the dog was taking him on. The chase ended at a small closet. Alarm bells went off in Clays mind when he saw the dog slow, then sit down. He moved carefully forward, checking the floor for any wires or triggers. He then carefully pulled the door opened, and his eyes went wide.

"Holy shit." He muttered.

"Boss! We gotta problem!" Clay yelled from down the hall. The men looked at each other. Jason scrunched his brow. He didn't like that tone. Clay always spoke with confidence even when something was bad. He only wavered when something was "The world as we know it could disappear" bad. Jason and Ray followed the sound of Clays voice until they were face to face with what he was seeing.

"Shit." Jason said. Once they shaped out of the initial shock, they all sprinted back to the room they had holed up in.

"What it is? What's going on?" Sonny asked, confused.

"Can we move him? We gotta get out of here right now." Jason said, gathering the stuff.

"What? Uh...I mean if we have to. What's going on?" Trent asked, just as confused.

"There's a closet down the hall rigged with enough c4, dynamite and tannerite to turn us and this entire building into a pink mist." Clay answered.

"What about the Cartel meet? They should be here any minute now." Trent asked.

"I say we get outta here now, let them find it an try to get rid of it." Sonny said.

"I agree. We just gotta go _now._ The things rigged to blow in 12 minutes, come on, let's _move!_ " Jason said. They all jumped into action, grabbing their gear. Trent and Sonny helped Brock up as quickly and carefully as they could. Jason led the way with Ray and Clay in the back. Clay clipped the leash onto his belt loop, then onto Cerberus. The stayed tight together, exiting the building as fast as they could. They heard multiple vehicles rolling up towards the front of the building, and forced themselves to go faster to avoid being seen. They barely made it a safe distance from the back of the building when the heard an ear piercing bang, and ducked before turning around to watch the house they had just been standing in disappear in a cloud of smoke.

 **Panic in Top Of Command…**

All eyes snapped to the tv screens, and mouths dropped open as they watched the building they were monitoring blow into pieces. Mandy put a hand over her mouth, a stifling a gasp. The silence of worry that had hung over the room minutes ago was now replaced with that of horror and fear of the worst. Fear that they had just witnessed the death of their entire team.

"TOC do you copy?" Mandy nearly collapsed with relief at the sound of Jason's voice coming through the comms. Shouts of joy echoed through the hold of their jet. Blackburn eagerly grabbed the phone and answered the call.

"We copy Bravo one! Good to hear your voice." Commander answered.

"Same here. Things got a little hairy in there. Cerberus just saved our lives. The maniacs had the placed rigged with explosives on a timer. Someone must be set it before we got to that floor." Jason explained.

"I'll buy him a nice steak. Did everyone get out ok?"

"Not exactly. There was an incident when we were clearing the building. Bravo five was separated, and got into a shootout with Perez. The target is dead, but…" panic flooded back as the comms cut for a minute, leaving the sentence unfinished.

"Repeat Bravo one, we missed the last part. Was Bravo five KIA?" Blackburn asked, the word sending a shiver down Mandys spine.

"Negative. He took a shotgun round to the shoulder. It's a pretty nasty wound, but thanks to some blood from Spenser, he's walking and talking. Not sure how much longer that'll last. He needs another transfusion." Jason answered, turning around to look at Brock, who was trying to hide the pain on his face.

"Roger that. Keep him awake for a little longer, your exfil is 4 mics out." Eric said.

"Copy that." Jason said. As soon as he released the button to end the call to TOC from his radio, all hell broke loose. He turned just in time to see Brock's eyes roll up into his head as he became a dead weight in the arms of his comrades.

"Brock! Hey! Dammit! The broken bone moved and cut an artery! If I don't get a tournakit on it, he'll bleed out." Trent said with panic. Without prompting, and in a matter of seconds, Sonny had the shoelace out of his boot, and handed it to Trent. They slowly lowered Brock to the ground, and Trent tied the lace as tight as he possibly could. They all looked up with relief at the sound of choppers overhead.

 **Later…**

"Hey doc? Hey. How is he?" Jason asked as he jogged down the hall of the local hospital to catch up with the doctor.

"He es fine. Surgery went well." The doctor replied in broken english. By the look that the man gave Jason, he could tell they weren't welcome here, and would only be sticking around long enough for the anesthesia to wear off.

"Thanks." He said, then turned and walked back towards Brocks room. As he got closer, Clay and and Trent looked up.

"What'd the doc say?" Clay asked when he saw the hint of annoyance on Jason's face.

"About as much as I expected. Just that he's fine. Hes certainly not anymore fond of us then the rest of the people here." He answered. Clay nodded.

"Something tells me us standing here in full assault gear doesn't help much. The little kids sure seem fascinated by it though." Clay said.

"Yea, well the Cartels lose a bunch of their guys and then a few hours later an American soldier shows up in one of their hospitals with a gunshot wound? How do you think that looks to them?" Jason said. Clay agreed. He then opened the door for Jason.

"How is he?" he asked Ray who was sitting beside his bed. The man in the bed was quiet and motionless, the only sounds in the room were the monitors and Sonny's snoring. He had taken the night watch.

"No change. Everything seems ok though. I still think we need to have him looked at by one of our doctors. I don't really trust these guys." Ray said skeptically, eyeing Brock as He had been doing ever since he had been brought into the room.

"Yea I agree. I have to say though, apart from the sideways looks and minimal conversation, it's been uneventful." Jason said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. As if the jinx immediately took effect, they heard yelling coming from outside, and looked up just in time to see a man that had charged down the hall sucker punched Trent. As he fought to regain his balance, Clay was on top of the man, yelling for him to stop fighting. He got him restrained as Jason, Ray, and Sonny, jolted awake by the commotion, bolted to the door. Just as the three other members of Bravo got to their aid, two more men appeared seemingly out of nowhere, ready to fight. One pulled a knife from his waistband and swung it towards Sonny, and caught him on the bicep. In the next second, Sonny had the man's forearm between his shoulder blades, face down on the tile floor. Jason had quickly grabbed the other man and secured him.

"Yo Sonny you alright?" Ray asked, looking at the blood that was starting to stain the sleeve of his shirt.

"I just got this uniform you SOB! I'm fine!" Sonny answered, standing the man to his feet a bit more forcefully than necessary.

"Alright look, everybody back in with Brock, Sonny and I will escort these three out. Ray, get TOC to send us that exfil now, we're not waiting for anything else to go sideways. Trent, you good?" Jason asked. Ray noded.

"All good boss." He answered, wiping a trail of blood from the busted lip the man had given him. They walked back in and stood around their fifth member, finally starting to stir.

"TOC this is Bravo two. Is our exfil here yet?" Ray asked.

"On it's way Bravo two. Everything alright with Bravo five?" Commander Blackburn asked.

"Yea, looks like he's starting to come around. Be advised, there was an incident with some uh, locals. Bravo one and three are escorting three off the premises now." Ray said.

"Copy Bravo two, will you be in need of Ellis' services?" Blackburn asked, wrinkling his brow. Mandy looked up at the sound of her name.

"As long as Hayes can keep Sonny rained in, we'll be fine." Ray replied.

"Welcome back. Again." Clay said when he saw that Brock was finally alert once again.

"Hospital? A...are we home?" Brock asked, still a little cloudy.

"Yes, but no. We could've been home, but you had to go into shock in the middle of the damn jungle. Sonnys for sure gonna give you crap about that one!" Trent joked, smiling.

Minutes later, bravo one and three re-entered with Sonny pushing a wheelchair.

"Hey, look who's awake! Bout time, let's get outta here!" Sonny said. He walked over to the monitors and began to turn them off one at a time.

"Woah! What are you doing?" everyone turned towards the voice, hands immediately dropping to their weapons.

"We're takin' our man and gettin' outta here, what's it look like?" Sonny said, turning back around and continuing to unplug machines and pull wires.

"No. No bueno, he is mi paciente! My... patient! I haven't… released him!" The man said, his broken English showing through.

"Oh yea?!" Sonny questioned taking an aggressive step towards the man. Before anything could happen, Jason stepped in between them, putting a hand on Sonny's chest.

"I've got this, thank you." Sonny starred the man down for a few seconds longer, then finally complied.

"My name is Master Chief Hayes of the American Navy, and that man is my soldier. We have been given instructions to return home, and that includes him. Thanks for patching him up, but now that he is awake, he's no longer your patient." Jason said with a calm but firm voice. He then turned and watched as Trent carefully pulled out Brocks IV, and had Clay help him slide Brocks arm into a sling.

"Go..go slowly!" The doctor said nervously and annoyed, still not wanting to leave the room.

"You heard the man, we got this! Go." Clay said. With one more glare from Sonny, the doctor raised his hands and finally left. Brock laughed, happy that the pain meds hadn't worn off yet, but also happy to be finally heading home. He missed Jess now more than ever. As they wheeled him down the hall, he thought about what it would be like to climb back into bed with her next to him.

 **Two weeks later…**

Brock straightened his collar as best he could with one hand, then pulled the door open, and walked into the restaurant.

"Hey man! You look good! Jess told me what happened. We're all so glad your ok! Both of you." Brock glanced down to where Cerberus was sitting calmly next to him. He wagged his tail slightly at the attention from the hostess.

"Thanks." He replied, then followed her to a table. He opened the menu and contemplated what he wanted. Everything looked so good.

"Can I start you off with a drink?" she asked. "I'll have a lager." Brock said.

"Ok. I'll tell Jess you're here." she said. He nodded, then returned to the menu, preparing himself for the speech he was likely about to get.

Minutes later, albeit sooner than he thought, he felt a presence coming towards him. Tier-one training that put that instinct into him. He could no longer be snuck up on. Cerberus sensed it to, but started to thump his tail on the floor. Unlike his owner, he could tell who it was by the sound of the footsteps, and the smell.

"Hey! What are you doing out of bed?" Jess asked. He smiled, knowing the question would come eventually.

"I got hungry, and as you can see, cooking is a bit difficult. Besides, they never said I had to be on bed rest." Brock answered.

"I still think you should be though! You just had another surgery!" she said, thinking back to the moment she had been in the kitchen when Cerberus sprinted into the room barking. She had followed him into the bedroom to find Brock doubled over, pale as a sheet and sweating, in excruciating pain. The surgery at the underfunded hospital in Venezuela had left him with a nasty infection.

"I'm ok. And if anything would go wrong, I have Cerb. Can I order my food now?" he asked.

"If you promise that after your done, you'll go home and rest?" she bargained.

"Yes. Yes, I promise! Now that that's out of the way, if like the sure and turf platter, steak…"

"Rare, I know. You like it still mooing a little bit." She finished his sentence.

"You know me so well. Love you!" he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to him.

"Yes I do. I love you too." She answered, kissing him. She laughed when she felt something wet nudging her hand, and scratched Cerberus behind the ears, just where her liked it. Brock pulled her in tighter, taking the few moments they had right now to soak in his little bit of perfect.


	17. Chapter 17

**Overwatch**

 **The team is used to being sent into countries where they aren't welcome. It's in the job description. That means that sometimes they need someone watching their six from higher ground. Clay might not have as much experience as the rest of them, but he's still one of, if not the best sniper on Bravo team. This earns him the roll of overwatch, which means he's all alone, with backup a short call away. However, that's not much help when your unconscious.**

Clay set his beer back on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch. Stella curled into his chest, taken in by the movie infront of them. They were watching La la Land for what seemed like the 1000th time, but what mattered was that she loved it. It was almost over, and then they could finally go to bed. Or at least she would anyway. His internal clock was still set to deployment, which meant most nights he was awake, tossing and turning. As if the universe had read his mind, he heard his phone buzzing from its spot on the table. He answered it immediately, and Stella could tell by the tone of his voice who was on the other end. That was normal. What wasn't was his expression. It was the same one he had had on the day he told her they were leaving early for deployment.

"You getting spun up again?" Stella asked after he hung up, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yea." he replied dryly.

"Is everything ok?" she asked, standing up. He had practically sprinted towards the bedroom to grab his bag. Something was definitely wrong.

"Uh, not exactly. It will be soon though." he answered. Stella nodded, and watched as he hurriedly packed his bag, and could tell his mind was already gone. As he finished shoving things into his bag and turned around, mentally going over the checklist in his mind to ensure he hadn't forgotten anything, she stepped in front of him and put her arms around his shoulders. Even for just a second, this brought him out of his thoughts.

"Be careful. Come home to me." she said.

"Of course. I love you." he replied, then pulled her into a hug. After a quick but certainly loving kiss, he grabbed his bag and left. As he started the engine to his car, the words Commander had said played over and over in his mind.

 _We've got a Code Red_

 **Later…**

"I know that a lot of the times we call a Code Red it ends up being a dead end, but not this time. Three hours ago, the Hermes malfunctioned and dropped into Northern Israeli territory." Ellis said over the sound of the plane taking off. They had all arrived at base and headed straight for the plane per usual with a code red.

"So you guys called a code red to tell us that aliens really do exist? I knew it!" Sonny said. Looking at the photo of the satellite. Mandy rolled her eyes and continued amidst snickers from the team. This was supposed to be serious, but with Sonny in the room, they all expected a few jokes now and then. The man couldn't help himself.

"Sorry to rain on your little conspiracy theory party, but no. The Hermes is our latest satellite technology for surveillance. It's been keeping an eye on rebel groups and their suppliers in Israel and surrounding countries for the last eight months." Ellis explained.

"So what's with the name?" Jason asked curiously.

"Hermes is the greek god of border crossing, among other things. Honestly, I don't really know where the name came from other than some CIA newbie looking to earn credit." Ellis answered.

"So this is a retrieval?" Ray asked.

"That is correct. Because of its size, the memory card is too small to be removed. The outside is made of state of the art camouflaging mesh that makes it undetectable to foreign surveillance. We have not shared this technology with any other countries, not even our allies." Blackburn said.

"So we need to get this thing outta Israel before someone finds it, right? But if we get caught in the region where it went down, that's the end of Bravo team." Clay added.

"Pretty much. You'll in-fill and ex-fill in vans. Once you have the package, you will drive out in the cover of night. We found lookalikes as close to the ones the rebels use as we could, so you shouldn't be bothered for the few minutes it takes you to get to the helos." Davis informed them.

"I sense there's a catch coming?" Jason asked.

"Unfortunately, there is. The local government has been shelling the town on and off for the last three weeks. Of course asking them to lay off for an day isn't an option, so we'll just have to pray that they don't choose your building as a target." Commander said.

"Won't the vans make that a bit difficult?" Ray asked.

"It was that or deal with the vehicle checks every 10 miles by the local police."

"Pick your poison I guess." Ray mumbled.

"Spenser, you'll be on overwatch on the northside building, Sonny will be on the east side building. Any questions?" Davis asked.

"Actually yea. Why can't I go get the UFO thing?" Sonny asked, tilting his head.

"Once again, it's not a UFO, and because last time we went to retrieve something, you blew up the wrong part of the drone." Davis replied, a small smile creeping onto her face from the memory. Sure, he had gotten her ear chewed off by the brass for letting him blow it up, but it was kinda funny. "They still got what they needed didn't they?" Sonny defended.

"Yea, but that's not the point. Go. Everyone, go get some sleep!" she said, shushing Sonny away and stopping the complaint that he was about to say. Clay laughed at the slightly defeated look on the man's face as they walked towards their hammocks.

 **Later…**

Clay focused the scope, then looked down range at his team as they entered the building.

"How we lookin' up there Bravo six?" Jason's voice asked over the comms.

"All good from my side." Clay answered after a sweep of the streets surrounding them.

"Bravo three?" Jason asked.

"No movement over here boss." Sonny answered. Clay watched as they entered the building, and turned up the brightness on his nods so he could keep an eye on them. A few minutes passed, filled only with the occasional muzzle flash as Bravo team cleared the area. Clay was doing another sweep when he saw a small truck pulling up to the front of the building.

"Hey Sonny, we got visitors." Clay said.

"You get as many as you can, I'll take the rest." came the reply.

"Sounds good to me." he said. He steadied himself and his breathing, then placed his crosshairs for a kill shot. He watched as the last target ducked behind the truck.

"You got a shot Sonny?" he called.

"Negative." Clay sighed in annoyance, one wrong move and this guy finds his way into the building, face to face with an unsuspecting Bravo team. _Always has to be the hard way doesn't it._ He closed his eyes for a second, clearing his mind. He opened them, the quickly pulled the trigger twice, the first within seconds of the last. One bullet took the targets feet out from under him, followed by the lethal shot.

"Damn. Nice shootin' kid!" Sonny complimented. Clay was about to respond when he heard planes coming towards them, followed by explosions in the distance.

"TOC this is Bravo three do you copy?" Clay asked.

"Go for TOC Bravo three." Blackburn answered.

"How far away are those bombs?" Clay asked.

"We've got eyes on your position, give us a second." Eric said, looking over Davis's shoulder as she scanned the area. Clay waited for an answer when suddenly, there was a deafening blast, and he was lifted into the air and thrown across the balcony he was on. He watched as the world whizzed past him, until it cut to darkness as his head slammed against the wall of the balcony.

/

Ray put his hands out to steady himself as the ground shook beneath them. He and Jason made eye contact before both looking out the window, panic washing over them at the sight of the building across the street up in flames.

"Bravo six, you alright?" Jason asked worriedly over the comms, saying what they were all thinking. Their worry heightened when there was no reply.

"Bravo six, do you copy?" he asked again. There was a barely noticeable noise on the other end, but Derek caught it.

"He's breathing. At least." Derek said.

"Bravo one to three, you got eyes on Bravo six?" Sonny joined the conversation over the comms.

"Negative Bravo three. Do you?" Jason asked.

"Nope. You guys got the toy yet? I'm headed to check on the kid." Sonny replied. Jason looked to Derek and Trent, who nodded their answer, tucking the case they had put the satellite in into one of their bags.

"Copy Bravo three, we're headed your way. Wait for us. Lord only knows what's hiding in the shadows in this city." Jason said.

"Bravo two to TOC." Ray raised the comms.

"Go two." Davis responded.

"Do you have eyes on Six?"

"Negative Bravo two. We tried to raise him on the comms but got nothing. I can't get a clear sight on him, there's too much smoke. " She asked, sliding across the table to find the team on the stealth drone footage.

"Guess those vans drew some attention we didn't need." Ray answered as the crossed the dark streets, trying to stay positive, but it was hard. This was the last thing they needed. They already had to pull Derek from Alpha team while Brock's shoulder healed up. They couldn't afford another man down, and certainly couldn't lose one. Not as young as….

"Found him!" Rays thoughts were cut off by Sonny yelling to the team. They joined him as quickly as they could. He was sprawled out in a pile of limbs, a small pool of red under his head, his helmet laying next to him. Sonny carefully rolled him onto his back while Trent picked up pieces of what was once Clays rifle and showed them to the rest of the guys as they adjusted their nods, knowing that would be the only light they'd have unless they wanted to end up like their teammate.

"How bad?" Jason asked after Derek knelt down to asses Clay.

"Strong pulse, but still out cold. Looks like the blast sent him airborne, took a nasty hit to the forehead. I think he was on fire for a little, he's got burns on his arm and side here." Derek said. Jason nodded, trying to plan their next move in his head. A man down makes everything more difficult.

"TOC this is Bravo one. Get the choppers running, we're moving to ex-fil. Spencer's a little banged up, get someone ready." Jason explained.

"Copy that. Is he likely?" Davis asked.

"No. Right now it just looks like he'll have some burns and one hell of a headache. Can you wake him?" Jason finished, then took his button off the radio on his vest and turned his attention to Derek.

"Sure thing." He answered, then pulled a capsule of smelling salts out of his bag. He cracked open the tube under Clays nose and let it flow in with the next breath. Clay was jolted awake, sitting up as he tried to make sense of the 12 different figures around him. He groaned, eyes squinting against the fierce pain raging behind them. He instinctively reached for his sidearm, not sure if the bodies around him were friend or foe. He didn't get far as the movement pulled on his burnt skin, tearing it more.

"Relax kid. You took a bad blow to the head. We're going home." Ray said, putting a hand on his chest to calm him. He didn't respond, but Ray decided that was normal considering the gash on his forehead. His eyes were glossy and confused, backed with pain. Derek reached into his bag and pulled out a bandage and a roll of gauze. He watched the kids blank stare as he waded up the bandage, then gently moved his head forward while he wrapped the gauze around the back of his head. He backed up quickly when Clay slumped to the side, and threw up. Once he was finished, he held a canteen to his mouth and helped him drink, not wanting to irritate the charred skin on Clay's arm. Derek begun to examine his side when something caught his eye, and he carefully wiped blood away to get a closer look. He huffed under his breath when he realized what he was looking at.

"The fire from the blast got him so good in took the skin down to his ribs. Must've burnt him bad and then when he was thrown, the skin tore like tissue paper. That white right there? That's his bone. If he stays out here in this dust to much longer it could get infected." he said.

"Well I guess we better get a move on then." Sonny said, scanning the area the would lead them out onto the dark streets.

"You with us Clay? Time to move." Jason asked, his concern growing when all he got in response was a blank stare, followed by a nod that seemed as though it was solely a result of his muscles twitching instead of an actual acknowledgement. Jason helped Derek pull the soldier up from the ground. Derek held tightly to Clays arm and around his waist, as he had a feeling that he would likely be unconscious again soon. He prayed that wouldn't happen, because that would mean that the team would only have three men to guard them, because though Derek was strong, he surely wouldn't be able to support all of Clays weight by himself. Jason looked back and saw the gears turning in Dereks head, knowing their thoughts were similar at the moment.

"TOC this is Bravo one. We're moving towards exfil."

 **Later…**

Clay looked around him, squinting hard to try to force his eyes to adjust to the bright lights around him. While he was still mostly confused about what had happened, he gathered enough in the last few minutes that he was with his team again, and no longer on overwatch. He soon recognized the steel walls surrounding him as the jet they called home most of the time. Just as he was finally getting his bearings, he felt himself being lifted onto a matress and laid back against it. Then the face of Derek reappeared, as he shined something bright on Clay. When he moved his head away as a reaction from the pain, he caught sight of Jason, standing not far off and watching every move the Derek made. Clays brain forced him to focus as he heard a voice talking to him, trying to ask him questions.

"Do you know where you are?" was the first full sentence he had been able to process since Ray telling him they were going home. It took him awhile to formulate his thoughts, longer than he liked, but he finally answered.

"The….the jet?" Clay muttered, voice raspy from the smoke he had taken in after the explosion.

"Good. Can you tell me your name and the date?" Derek asked, slowly unwinding the bandage from around Clays head.

"C..Clay Spencer and uh… May….6th?" Clay said, annoyance rising in him when even just hard thinking caused him pain.

"Come on man, he wouldn't know that even if he hadn't just been thrown head first into a cement wall! All the days mush together on an op. An' I know for damn sure you wouldn't either!" Sonny quipped from where he was stretched out in his hammock. Clay heard the snickers from the rest of his team, and couldn't help a little smile. This was quickly replaced with a wince of pain when Derek rolled his eyes at the southerner, then pressed a small towel soaked with antiseptic against the gash on his forehead to clear away the dried blood. The bleeding had finally decided to stop, meaning the cut could be stitched. Derek then looked up and called over one of the many nurses on the jet. They likely would've been working on Clay, but Derek hadn't given them the option or the space. This was one of his brothers. He might be from another team, but that didn't matter, he was apart of the brotherhood.

"Alright Clay, you still here?" Derek asked, when he saw his eyelids fluttering.

"Mhmm…" Clay muttered, suddenly feeling tired. Derek grabbed a nearby stethoscope and pressed it to Clays chest. When he was satisfied, he put it back where he had taken it from.

"We're gonna lay you back and get a better look at that burn on your side, ok?" Clay slowly nodded his response. They laid him back and Derek watched as seconds later, Clays eyes were slipping closed. Derek felt Jason creeping closer, as usual. He lightly tapped his cheek, bringing the kid back to them.

"Sorry man, no sleeping til I know you can carry a full conversation without mumbling or confusion." he smiled and shrugged his shoulders at Clays groan, and continued to work to fix him up.

 **Two days later…**

 _Their gonna kill me for this one_ Clay thought as he stuck the keys in the ignition. _Oh well_ he thought, shrugging it off. He made the short drive home, then pulled into his parking spot. He gingerly climbed the stairs to his apartment, putting a hand to his forehead when the pounding started again. Once it finally subsided, he unlocked the door, and opened it, surprised to find that there were lights on. Before he had time to put on his usual tough-guy facade, he heard a voice from the bedroom.

"Hey! I wasn't sure when you'd be home, and I like writing better here than at my place. My neighbor just got a puppy and that thing will not shut up! I dec… Oh my god!" Stella gasped slightly when she finally came into view and took in how rough Clay looked. She quickly came closer, studying the line of thick blue stitches that started at his the hairline on the left side of his forehead and stopped an inch above his eyebrow. Her eyes then moved down to the white bandage that covered his right forearm. Her worry grew as the discovered that there was more. He had unknowingly placed a hand over the wound on his side, making it obvious. She carefully moved his hand away and pulled his shirt up to reveal a large bandage that matched the one on his arm, wrapped around his upper chest, using his right shoulder as an anchor. What was more strange was the fact that he didn't protest anything that she was doing. He was to tired, and the headlights coming towards him on the ride home had seemingly reminded him that he did indeed have a grade three concussion.

"What..what happened? What's the bandage covering? Were you shot?" Stella asked, concern hanging on the edge of her voice. Clay was finally able to gather his thoughts, and pushed past her, headed for the couch.

"Got blown up." Clay muttered in response, fatigue slowly taking over.

"Nope, no way, your going to bed. And your going to let me take care of you." Stella said, stepping in front of him and steering him towards the bedroom. The concern grew to worry when she saw the dazed look in his eyes. He really was in bad shape. She held as tight as she could around his waist when she noticed him wobbling as he walked. _He drove like this?!_ She thought in shock. She then slowly helped him lower himself onto the edge of the bed, then noticed how sweaty and dirty his shirt was, even noticing a few drops of what had to be blood on the front. She pieced it together that it must've taken them a while to get back from wherever they were, and Clay had been to messed up to even change his clothes from the ones the slipped on him after patching him up on the aircraft. He still had his tactical pants and boots on. Before he could flop back the whole way, she lightly tugged on the hem of his shirt. He somehow got the message, and sluggishly held his arm up so she could slide the shirt off one side. Once she was done, he slowly laid back against the pillows, not even under the sheets. Within seconds, he was out cold. She sighed as she stood looking at him, millions of questions raging in her mind, knowing they would all have to wait.

 **/**

Stella paced around the kitchen, trying to figure out what to do. None of this made any sense. She was racking her brain, trying to come up with the thousands of possibilities of things that could've happened to cause Clays injuries. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing on the bedside table. A twinge of panic hit her when she realized the blaring noise was directly next to Clays head. She raced in and answered it before it could go any longer. Clay moved slightly, but never woke.

"Hello?" Stella asked, as she hadn't even given herself time to look at the name on the screen.

"Hey Stella, this is Jason Hayes. Is Clay with you?" the voice from the other end asked, a hint of worry hanging on the edge of the question.

"Yea, he got home about 15 minutes ago." she answered, looking at the sleeping figure on the bed.

"That sneaky little shit!" Jason muttered, barely audible, shaking his head as he looked at the empty bed in the base hospital where Clay was supposed to be.

"Ok, I'm really confused, so if you could help me out here, that'd be great." Stella said, slightly annoyed.

"How much did he tell you?' Jason asked.

"Nothing! All I got was a dazed look and that he got blown up!" Stella answered as her pacing resumed. She heard a deep sigh on the other end as the man planned his words slowly.

"We were in a country on a retrieval mission. Clay was on overwatch when the shelling started, and one hit the building next to him. The blast sent him flying head first into a wall. We believe that either the blast was strong enough to somehow blow his helmet off, or he had uncliped the strap beforehand. He was close enough to it that he caught on fire for long enough to cause second degree burns on his arm and third on the side of his chest. He's got a grade three concussion, and is supposed to still be in the hospital under observation. Not that I don't think you can take care of him, it's just…" Jason explained.

"No, I understand. Thanks for filling me in. Wow...uh, well yea, I'll take care of him. I'll let you know if anything changes." Stella said, in shock.

"Thank you. Good luck." Jason said, then hung up. Stella stared at the phone for a while even after the screen went black, trying to process everything she had just been told.

 **Later…**

Clay yawned and slowly opened his eyes to look around the bedroom in his apartment. After some brief moments of confusion, he remembered driving home and then stumbling in, and Stella steering him to bed. _Stella! Shit! She must be so freaked out!_ He eased himself up to a sitting position, then swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood up. He paused, squeezing his eyes shut until the dizzy spell passed, then walked out into the living room looking for her. She was sitting on the couch, studying something on her computer. As soon as they made eye contact, she jumped to her feet and was at his side in seconds.

"What are you doing up?!" she scolded.

"I realized I didn't really tell you what happened. And I was thirsty." he answered with a small smile. He rolled his eyes when she grabbed a cup and filled it, handing it to him without missing a beat.

"That's ok. Mr. Hayes called and told me everything. Didn't seem to thrilled that you left. Why exactly, did you leave the hospital?" She asked, tilting her head to one side and drumming her fingers on the counter.

 _Well that blows…_ "I hate hospitals. And besides, I figured you would make an amazing nurse." He said, turning his charm up as best he could. If she was as pissed at him as it looked like she was, he needed to pull out all the stops.

"This isn't funny Clay! You have a severe concussion, and you drove yourself home! What if.. What if something had happened? You survive all that crap overseas just to come home and get yourself ki..killed?!" Stella said, her eyes piercing into him. He flinched inwardly. Hearing the crack in her voice caused him more pain than having layers of charred skin peeled off of his side had. He took a step closer, matching her intense gaze as he ran a calloused thumb across her cheek, wiping away a tear that had escaped without her knowing.

"But I didn't, ok. I'm sorry babe, I'm sorry for scaring you." he said. She let out a long, exasperated sigh and shook her head.

"I know. Your a mess Clay Spencer, a mess." she said, taking the cup out of his and putting it in the sink. Clay cracked a smile and shifted his weight to lean against the counter, his bare skin resting against the cold granite.

"But I'm your mess." he said. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh at his antics. After a few minutes of silence, Clay took a drew in a deep breath, forgetting about the injury to his side. The farther his lungs expanded as they filled with air, the farther his skin stretched, pulling on the tight stitches and the first layer of grafted skin. The pain quickly intensified, and the breath hitched in his throat. Stellas attention snapped to him in time to watch his hand reach for his side.

"What's wrong?" she asked with worry as she saw his face twist with pain.

"I'm...I'm ok. Just sore." He replied slowly.

"Really, I'm good. I don't need anything." he finished a minute later, gathering himself.

"Other than a shower that is." she said, scrunching up her nose. She could see the dirt caked onto his skin, mixed with dried blood, soot, sand, and antiseptic. He huffed in mock offense, then laughed.

"How longs' it been since you showered last? Three days?" she asked.

"Six actually." he said, his smirk growing when he saw the disgust on her face.

"Clay that's almost a week! Thats nasty!" She said, though she was only partially surprised.

"In my defense, I was in country for three of those days, and the rest of the time I was either unconscious or high as a kite on pain killers, so yea." he said.

"Go shower immediately." she said, trying to sound serious even though she knew it wasn't really his fault.

"You gonna join me?" he asked playfully.

"Wow. you really did hit you head, didn't you! To soon?" she retorted jokingly. He shook his head and laughed, then turned and slowly walked towards the bathroom. As soon as his back was turned, her smile dimmed and she watched him like a hawk, ready to jump into action at a moments notice.

 **One shower later…**

Stella awareness heightened when she heard the shower turn off. She listened carefully to the shower curtain opening and the sound of his footsteps as they padded across the tile floor. A minute or two later, the door opened, and he walked out into the hall. She stood quickly to her feet when she watched him pause in the doorway and grab onto the door frame to steady himself. Panic started to take over when she saw him start to wobble and pinch his eyes shut. She put a gentle hand on his chest, hoping to center him.

"You ok? Tell me what's happening." she asked, trying to hide her concern. He was white as a sheet. She was seconds away from calling an ambulance when he reached for his side again, then put his hand on her shoulder to stop the spinning.

"Clay? Hey. If your going to pass out, you need to tell me. Talk to me please! Are you going to pass out?!" She begged.

"N….no. No. Just moved… to fast. Really…..dizzy." He finally managed to answer, pain heavy in his voice.

"Ok. Let's get you into bed." she said, and herself under his shoulder on his good side, waiting until he was ready. He nodded, then let go of the frame and let her support most of his weight, realizing that she was stronger than she looked. They crossed the bedroom one step at a time until they finally reached the bed, and she once again watched him sink into the mattress, pain on his face.

"You alright?" she asked. When he silently nodded, she grabbed the first aid kit and came back and sat on the edge of the bed. She pulled out a roll of gauze and other bandages.

"Give me your arm." she said. He sluggishly lifted it for her, and she could tell he wouldn't be awake for much longer. She expertly covered and wrapped the wound on his arm, laying it at his side as she watched the freshly washed skin on his bare chest rise and fall steadily. She gently taped a large bandage to the side wound. She put the kit on his bedside dresser, and stood to leave.

"I love you." she turned around when she heard him talking, and smiled. She walked back and placed a light kiss on his forehead next to the row of stitches.

"I love you to."

 **Three weeks later…**

The loud buzzing of a phone on a table brought Clay out of his sleep in no time flat. He answered it quietly, then hung up and looked at the time. 5am. He tensed when he felt the warm body next to him stir, then slipped out from under the covers once he had ensured that she was still asleep. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before stealthily moved around the room to grab his bag, then was out the door once again.

/

Clay opened the door to the meeting room and walked in behind Brock and Cerberus. The mood seemed to switch instantly once everyone realized they were both in the room.

"Well would ya look what the dog drug in!" Sonny roared overtop of the commotion and greetings.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how the saying goes." Ray said.

"I know that! I also know Cerberus ain't no cat!" Sonny retorted, the room breaking out with laughter.

"Welcome back you two." Blackburn said.

"How's the wing Brock?" Jason asked. He raised his arm up and swung it around a few times.

"Full range of motion!" he replied.

"An' I bet your girl loves the scar!" Sonny said with a wink.

"What about you Spencer? How's the noggin?" Davis asked as they all gathered around the table.

"Full working order!" he relied, following suit with Brock.

"Your brain was never in full working order dude." Sonny quipped.

"Sonny my concussed brain worked better than your normal one!" Clay shot back, the room again erupting into laughter.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Ellis, take over." Eric said, chuckling. She nodded, and the tone quickly turned serious. Clay looked around, beyond glad to be back.

 **Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the incredible reviews full of encouragement and suggestions! As far as i have planned now, the next few chapter will be mostly Clay whump! I will try to post regularly, but with the new school year it may be difficult, so just bare with me. Anyways, thank you guys so much, and i hope you enjoy the new chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18 part one

**The Other Guy**

 **When it comes to whos the best at hand to hand combat, most people would likely put their money on Sonny. He's got the size, the strength, and certainly the bravato. But perhaps that's not what its about. Sometimes quiet confidence is really all you need. When Clay is split from the team, worry clouds them. They can hear the scuffle, but can't stop it, and they fear the worst. As they get closer, only one of the figures walks towards them and soon confirms their fears.**

Jason let the man's head drop back to the ground as Ray sent the picture to TOC. The shadow was finally dead after all these years.

"Ya know, I never did understand that nickname." Sonny said, spitting out his tooth pick and replacing it with a new one.

"Bravo one, passing Rockford." Jason informed TOC as he raised an eyebrow at the texan, not sure where he was going with this. But then, he never really was sure with Sonny.

"I mean, sure he killed a bunch of people an' never got caught, but he sure wasn't camera shy." he continued. Ray looked at Jason with a dumbfounded look, then back to Sonny.

"Seriously? You know what, nevermind." Ray said, shaking his head. Explaining something this simple wasn't worth it. Clay couldn't help but laugh, and Trent soon joined in.

"Good copy Bravo one. Come on home." Blackburns voice came through the comms, and Jason nodded. He was giving directions of who would be where as they moved to ex-fil when Davis came back over the comms.

"Bravo team, we've got a squirter. I don't think I have to remind you that Musir was the only one besides you six that are supposed to walk out of that building. Not to mention that if he gets into town while you guys are still in country…"

"Yea, yea, we'll be nose to nose with the most ruthless band of mercenaries this side of heaven, we got that." he replied. He sighed, thinking it over.

"Clay, Sonny, go get him. We'll be right behind you." Jason said. The two nodded, and left.

"TOC, this is Bravo one. Bravo three and six pursuing the squirter." Jason said as he and Brock secured the hood over the prisoners face.

"Copy that bravo one." came Commanders response.

"Moving to Hutch." He said, and they grabbed the prisoner and made their way out of the building.

Sonny and Clay crept through the desert, eyes sweeping the area for the man. Clay was quite a few paces ahead of Sonny. He spun around when he heard a loud thud, followed immediately by a deep yell of pain. Clay raced towards the sound, and soon saw Sonny curled onto his side.

"Man down! I repeat, man down!" he said, dropping down next to his brother.

"SOB! I'm fine! He clotheslined with a branch. Go get him!" Sonny said, rage the only thing taking an edge off the pain.

"Your shoulder doesn't look right man." Clay said with concern.

"No shit sherlock! But might i remind you that this will be the least of our worries if he gets away! Go! NOW!" Sonny growled. Clay nodded reluctantly, then took off in the direction Sonny pointed him. The man was making a beeline for the village.

Seconds later, the rest of Bravo team raced over calling Sonny's name and searching the woods for him. They found him on one knee, hand on the ground, trying to get to his feet and ignore the pain.

"Hey! Sonny! Hey, what happened? Wheres Spenser?" Jason asked as Trent went to his side to access the injury.

"The maniac clotheslined me with that branch. Spenser went after him." Sonny answered, wincing when Trent pressed on the side of his left shoulder.

"Looks like its out of socket." he said.

"Well pop it back in! We don't have time for this!" Sonny said angrily.

"It'll hurt." Ray said.

"It already does! Just do it before i do it myself!" he said, his face flushing red from anger.

"One...two.." Trent said, then snapped the ball back into the joint without warning. Sonny bit his lip against the pain, biting back a groan, knowing they had to be quiet.

"Bravo six, do you have the squirter?" Jason asked. His brow scrunched when there was no answer.

"Bravo six, come in." he tried again. This time he heard what sounded like grunting and something hitting….

"Sounds like...like he's fighting with him." Ray said.

"Dammit. TOC, this is Bravo one." Jason said.

"Go for TOC."

"Hows the area look? Do you have eyes on six?" he asked, hating the words as soon as they left his mouth. Every time they did, something went wrong.

"Affirmative Bravo one. You guys are clear, but those birds can't wait forever. Looks like Spenser is in a pretty nasty fight. You need to get him and get out of there now." Davis said. Eric chewed on his nervously as he watched the scuffle on the monitors in front of them.

Clay ducked just in time as the man swung something long at his head. He took the opportunity to land a few more punches to the guys stomach. He could feel the blood dripping from the cut on his eyebrow, and spit out a mouthful of the liquid. In the next second, they were both on the ground, wrestling as each man tried to grab one of the weapons that had been discarded in the first minutes of the fight. Clay suddenly found himself on his back, arms trying to shield his face from the blows that were raining down on him. One solid fist broke his defense, and he felt it subsequently break his nose. The pain mixed with his adrenaline and kicked his brain into survival mode. He managed to land a quick jab to the man's throat, sending him reeling. Clay rolled to his hands and knees to crawl as fast as he could to retrieve his gun. He finally got to his feet when suddenly the man was on top of him again. He felt a knife press into the side of his neck, and his hands flew to the spot out of instinct. Then he remembered a move his cousin had taught him back when they were little. He threw his hands back and grabbed the man under his shoulders, and yanked him upwards, dropping to one knee at the same time. This sent the man airbourne over Clays head, just as he had intended it to. He hit the ground with a bone snapping thud, and ly motionless. Clay dropped down next to him and pressed two fingers to the side of his neck. No pulse. _Thank god_ he thought, then forced himself to his feet. He picked up his rifle and walked back the way he had come.

The hairs on the back of Jason's neck stood up when he heard footsteps coming towards him. They all raised their guns almost in unison when they saw the shadowy figure coming towards the. He was about to shoot when he heard a strained voice yell. Then it came again.

"Eagle eagle!" Clay yelled as he walked towards the group of scopes. His nods had been broken in the fight, which meant he had no idea whether or not the group was Bravo team or the mercenaries.

"How's the other guy look?" Clay let out a sigh of relief and lowered his muzzle at the sound of Ray's voice.

"Right now, pretty dead." Clay said as he got closer to the group, and everyone got a good look at him.

"Well you look like shit." Sonny said, watching the blood stain the young soldiers blonde beard.

"Thanks. You don't look to hot yourself. How's the shoulder?" he asked, ignoring the pain that was beginning to flow in now that his adrenaline had worn off.

"Woah…" Brock said, then shined a light onto the back of Clays neck.

"Wh...whatcu… whayssh the proom…." Clay asked, confused at how his words sounded and why the world had started to sway.

"Holy shit! Hey!" Trent and Jason quickly grabbed onto him and eased Clay to the ground onto his side when they saw what Brock had. There was a knife buried in the back of his neck.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Part Two: Stranded**

 **This was supposed to be easy. But then again, if the mission seems to good to be true, it probably is.**

"Hold him still!" Trent hissed at Ray who was fighting to pin the kids waist onto the table.

"I'm trying!" Ray answered in an exasperated voice.

"Well try harder dammit! One wrong move and this blade goes through his external jugular!" Trent said as he pulled his hands away. He nearly had a grip on blade, but every time he got close, Clay thrashed around like a dead fish.

"Just give him some morphine!" Sonny said as he tightened his grip on the belt around Clays legs just below the knee.

"He's already had three! We need to save the rest, god knows how long we'll be out here!" Jason answered, forcing Clays arm back down, considering sitting on him.

"For the love of god-thats it!" Trent said angrily and spiked the pile of bloody clothes onto the ground. He kneeled to the ground in front of the soldier and grabbed him by the chin as firmly as he could without hurting him.

"Clay! Hey. look at me! CLAY!" everyone's attention was drawn as they all seemingly froze. Trent never raised his voice. That's how you really know shit's hit the fan. The tactic worked, as about a minute later, Clay snapped out of whatever endorphin-fueled bought of madness he had fallen into, and actually seemed to focus.

"Thank you. I need to get this knife out of your neck, and you need to let me, ok?' there was a weak nod.

"Good. Now, do. not. move. an inch." He said. He stood back up and and resumed his position, hand hovering above the handle.

"The second I get a good grip, shove that towel in his mouth. I ain't getting shot tonight." Trent said. Brock nodded, and everyone took up ready positions. Trent wrapped his fingers around the handle, and in the next second they were all staring at the silver blade. All except Ray, that was. He stumbled back a few steps and waited for the sparks to clear from his vision. He pressed the palm of his hand against the cut he could feel forming on his jaw from Clays fist that had flown up as a gut reaction to the pain. Ray's gasp was muffled by the panting breaths coming from the kid on the tail end of his screaming. Trent packed it with gauze, and everyone took a step back, cherishing the fleeting moment free of panic, knowing it wouldn't last.

 **Earlier…**

"Bravo one I need a status report." Eric said, looking at the group of men on the ISR. They hadn't moved since Clay had rejoined them, and that could only mean one of two things.

"We've got a problem. Bravo six is down, and three is a little banged up." Blackburn sighed and rubbed his forehead as he felt the eyes of Davis and Ellis go to him immediately, knowing they were all thinking the same thing. Exfil was never easy when one person was injured, let alone two. And now they were trying to get out of the country with a group of mercenaries known to murder servicemen and send the videos to their families hunting them, things just got a lot more complicated.

"Are they critical?" Blackburn asked, partially knowing the answer.

"TOC, this is Bravo six, I'm good. Just a messed up shoulder. Spencer on the other hand…" Sonny relied. His words did little to comfort the command members. With Sonny, "messed up" could range anywhere from a pulled muscle to a sucking wound.

"Alright I won't sugarcoat it. He's got a knife stuck in him, and the sooner we get it out the better. It's getting light, so we're gonna have to hunker down somewhere for a little while. The kid bought us a little time at least. He said he killed the guy." Jason finished, looking to where Trent was trying to stabilize the blade. Davis moved the camera to where the fight had taken place, soon finding the squirter again, and sure enough, the body hadn't moved. Eric paced the floor as a thick silence hung over the room, trying to formulate a plan to get his men home safely.

"Affirmative Bravo one. It looks like there's an abandoned shed about 10 clicks to the south." Blackburn said, looking at the building on the screen in front of them. Jason looked in the direction they were told, flipping his nods down to ensure the area was clear.

"Copy that. Headed that direction. Let's move." Jason said, then looked to each team member, eyes resting on the last, who was conscious but not coherent. Trent nodded to Ray, who wasted no time in getting to his knees next to the kid. He carefully grabbed an arm and leg and held them tight as he stood to his feet. He paused for a moment to let his body adjust to the extra weight. Clay felt the change in altitude and groaned as the pain moved down his spine, his arms tingling. The team formed tight around them, and moved through the jungle, keeping their eyes wide open.

They paused momentarily to examine the man Clay had killed as they passed him in the jungle. Sonny pulled the rifle from the ground next to the man, then turned him over.

"Damn." Trent said after studying the mand for just a short time.

"What's up?" Jason asked, worried.

"Spencer snapped his neck."

"Ok? He is pretty strong you know." jason replied as they kept moving.

"No, you don't understand. The way its broke means he was standing _behind_ Clay when it happened." Trent answered.

"So you mean the kid broke his neck with his back to him?" Sonny clarified, dumbfounded at Trent's nod. Jason huffed, admittedly impressed. They were left to think this over as they continued towards the shed in the distance.

 **Current time…**

Clay shivered as he slowly opened his eyes. He fight reaction kicked in when he looked around him, and realized that nothing looked familiar. Last thing he remembered, albeit vaguely, was Trent talking to him, saying something about holding still, then a fierce pain in the back of his neck. The fear continued through him when he realized he was laying on a cold metal service on his stomach, with only the small barrier of a blanket. He tried to move, but was quickly stopped.

"Take it easy kid, your fine. You look like you went about eight rounds with Rocky. How're you feeling?" Jason asked.

"Like I went about eight rounds with Rocky. Except this time he brought a knife to a fist fight." Clay answered with a laugh, stopping when the movement jostled his tender ribs.

"How's Sonny?" he asked, moving his head as much as the position would allow trying to find his comrade.

"I'm fine, now would y'all stop fusin' over me?! I'm not the one who had a knife in my neck!" Sonny said with annoyance as he moved his shoulder around in the sling Trent had forced him into wearing. Clay let the words sink in, not aware before that the knife had actually been stuck in him. He made a point not to tell Stella about that one. He was slipping into his thoughts when he suddenly heard movement outside. Cerberus perked up and walked towards the door, a low growl starting in his throat. Just as everyone's attention peaked, their radios cracked to life.

"All Bravo signs be advised you've got armed combatants approaching your position." Davis warned as she watched the monitors in front of her, fear creeping in on the edge of her voice.

"How many we talkin'?" Sonny asked, jamming a new clip into his gun as they all stood up.

"I count about… 15-20." She replied.

"Looks like someone squealed. So much for no one knowing we're here." Ray said.

"Sounds like their sending out a group to see how many of us there are. We'll have to use silencers. That means to grenades or flashbangs either. We get to loud and the whole country will know were here." he said. Jason nodded his agreement.

"Alright. Sonny, you watch Spencer, we'll cut 'em off before they get to close. Stay on the radio, you hear me?" Jason said, grabbing Sonny's helmet and making him look him in the eye. He nodded his reply firmly, and the team split away.

"TOC, this is Bravo one. We're gonna cut off the group before they get to close. Bravo three is staying behind with six." Jason said.

"Copy that. Be careful." Davis said.

"Always." Jason replied as they moved stealthily through the jungle.

They soon spotted the small group of the mercenaries walking towards them. Jason held his fist up, and they all stopped, then moved to the formation they had agreed would work best with four on 20. They turned towards each other, and on Jason's signal, opened fire. The woods weren't quite for much longer, as the pop of the enemy guns echoed around them. Ray cursed under his breath as he watched one of the men flash past him.

"Bravo three this is bravo two! You've got at least one coming your way. He's a fast SOB!" Ray yelled, panicked slightly when there was no answer on the radio. He was about to call for a report when Sonny finally answered.

"Yea well now he's a dead SOB!" Sonny answered. Ray meant to answer, but had no time. They had managed to cut the number down to what looked to be about 10, but they were still advancing fast. Ray cursed out loud when he reached down and realized he was out of mags. He threw the rifle over his shoulder and whipped out his handgun in one swift motion. He had taken out three more men when suddenly, everything went to shit. A stifled grunt reached his ears, and he looked over to see Trent fall.

"Dammit! Man down!" Ray yelled.

"Who?! Everyone report!" Jason answered, anger filling him.

"I'm fine. Just clipped me….its not bad!" Trent's strained voice came over the radio, a barely disguised edge of pain in it. Bravo team continued on, gaining their own ground.

"One more!" Brock yelled as after throwing the smoke grenade, and the last enemy showed himself. Ray watched as both of the men raised their guns at the same time, and after a loud bang, both fell at the same time. Ray raced to his friends side.

"Jase! Jason!" he yelled. Jason coughed and gritted his teeth, taking the hand that was offered to help him up.

"It's in my...vest. I'm good." He said, trying to slow his breathing.

"Bravo three, were heading back. How's the kid doing?" Ray asked.

"All good here." Came Sonny's response. With that, the four headed back towards their hiding spot, praying it would remain that way.

/

Brock leaned in closer and tied off the last stitch that closed up the gash on Trent's bicep, then wrapped it tight.

"Not bad! Thanks man." Trent said, then stood and walked towards where Jason was sitting in the corner.

"Let me see." he said, already preparing himself for the rejection.

"I'm fine." _there it is_. He thought.

"Look, I know you got hit. I don't care if it was just your vest. We need you fully functional." trent said. Jason sighed in defeat when he saw the look from Ray. He reluctantly lifted his shirt to reveal a large red welt on the front of his stomach, perfectly center mass. Trent looked closer, and prodded the spot gently, trying to access the damage. Jason winced slightly.

"That ribs' definitely broken. Looks like a displaced fracture. Not much I can do right now, sorry." Trent said.

"It's fine. Bravo one to TOC." Jason said, and motioned for Trent to check on Clay.

"Go for TOC." Commander replied.

"When can we get exfil in here? The kid needs a hospital." Jason said, noticing that the color of Clay's face was about five shades to light.

"We're working on that. We can't get choppers in there."

"Why not?!" Jason asked, anger growing.

"Brass doesn't want to risk it." he said.

"Well screw them!" Sonny yelled from the corner, knowing the conversation without thinking to hard.

"I know. We're coordinating with the army. They've got Rangers in the area. Ideally, they'll call it as a rescue mission and grab you guys on their way through the country back towards Germany. As soon as we know, you will. How's Spencer?" Commander said, rubbing his chin, the stress giving him a headache.

"I….I'm…. . Just a f...few broken bones.." Clay said, trying to ignore the pain in his neck.

"Good to hear your voice. Hang in there Clay." Davis answered when the injured soldiers voice crackled through the speakers.

"You….. g..ot.. got it." He replied. Trent peeled the bandages back and replaced them, pausing when the skin on his arm stretched and pulled against the stitches. Ray saw the pain on his face, and stepped in.

"Go get some sleep. Brock and I'll take first watch." he said, and finished putting the clean bandages on. Trent nodded, and eased his tired body onto the dirt floor, asleep seconds. Ray looked around as each member slowly drifted off, Clay being the last to let sleep take him. Ray sent up a quick prayer that they'd get out here soon.


	20. Chapter 20 part three

**Part Three- Almost There**

 **They had been stuck in this tiny shed for what felt like an eternity, and they were running out of supplies and time. This was hurting them all, but mostly Clay. All that being said, things had remained fairly uneventful, allowing them to plan their next move, but that was all about to change….**

A pale light streamed through the cracks in the wooden walls, letting just enough light in so they could see what was around them. Jason looked around at the tiny room at his men, most of which were sleeping. They had been stuck in this musky shed for about five days now, and were still no closer to getting out. Jason had already made up his mind that as soon as they were somewhere with a direct line to headquarters, he'd give the brass a piece of his mind. His eyes stopped on the man in the center of the madness. Despite everything that had happened, he seemed to be sleeping peacefu….

"Bravo team you've got incoming!" the men jolted awake at the sound of the frantic voice on the radio, followed seconds later by raid gunfire, bullets ripping holes in the boards and furniture. They snapped into survival mode as bullets whizzed around them and they returned fire, not entirely sure what the were aiming for. Clay's head spun with a mix of terror from the sudden drop of action, and pain from his battered body curling into itself in an effort to protect the vital organs. Sonny's stream of curse words filled the air right alongside the panic.

"TOC, what the hell?!" Sonny screamed.

"The mercenaries found you! They appeared out of nowhere!" Ellis answered, staring at the screen as people ran in circles behind her, trying desperately to catch up with the situation in front of them.

"No shit! How many are there?" Jason yelled into the comms, ducking as a round of bullets flew in, inches from where his head had been seconds ago. He hardly had time for a headcount, and that pissed him off.

"All due respect sir, if one more person tells me about our relationship with the prime minister, I swear to god I will find a way to call him myself, because you guys obviously don't know how to take care of your own soldiers! Maybe he does!" Blackburn screamed into the phone, the veins popping out on his forehead.

"A lot." Jason cursed as the answer to his question came over the radio.

"Ball park it!" he replied, jumping up to fire a few more cautious shots, praying they were hitting targets when he heard the enraged voice of Sonny cut through the chaos.

"I'm out!"

"Gotta be about 40. You seem to be putting a dent in them though!" Davis said.

"We better be or we'll all be dead soon!" Ray said. Seconds later, a small explosion erupted, sending Trent flying, and upending the table Clay was laying on.

"Dammit! Brock! Cover me!" Ray yelled, quickly rolling Trent onto his back. He was out cold.

"I have six soldiers in the fight of their lives right now, and your seriously telling me there's nothing you can do?! If they die _**I will have your job!**_ " Commander roared, slamming the phone onto the table with such force it shattered the cover on the back.

"Sonny you got any grenades?!" Jason asked frantically, knowing this was likely their last option if they wanted to live.

"Of course!" he replied, army crawling across the floor to join Jason in the front. Hayes motioned for them all to duck down to form a plan. As they did, the gunfire slowed.

"What's he doing?! Their getting closer!" Mandy asked, looking at the screen.

"That's what they want! They might be out of ammo, but they still have plenty of frags. Their trying to draw them closer so they can take more out at once." Davis explained, chewing on the inside of her lip. This had to work.

"Won't they feel some of the blast too?" Mandy asked.

"Yea, but otherwise they'll feel bullets."

"On the count of three! 1….2…..3!" Jason yelled. The remaining four stood in unison, yanked the pins, and launched the grenades into the woods in front of them, then dropped as quickly as they could, Brock and Jason throwing themselves on top of Clay and Trent to shield them from the blast as best as they could. Eric watched the explosion on the ISR, the visibility blanking to smoke, and turned on his heel. Davis put her head in her hands in disbelief as she heard the door to their makeshift command center slam shut, taking with it all the air in the room.

 **Stateside…**

Stella turned the phone over in her hands, taking a deep breath. She pressed call, and waited.

"Hey, its Clay, sorry I missed you. I'm probably not in the same country right now, I'll call you back when I can. Leave a message if you want." she sighed deeply. She'd heard this recording so many times now, she probably knew it by heart.

"Uh...hey, not sure what's going on. I should probably stop calling, your probably busy. I..I don't know, I just miss you I guess. Call me please….when you can." Stella said, then hung up. She rubbed her hands over her face.

"Everything alright?" she nearly jumped out of her skin, stifling a scream at the voice that was suddenly behind her. She turned, and put a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart.

"Gordon! Damn, you scared me." she said, letting out a breath.

"Sorry. You just seemed a little out of it today. Is it your boyfriend? Is he ok?" He asked.

"Yea, I...I don't know. He's not answering my calls."

"Isn't he on a mission or something?" Gordon asked, acting slightly disinterested.

"Yea….but something doesn't feel right. He doesn't usually go this long without sending anything." She answered.

"Hmm. If you need to take the rest of the day off, feel free." Gordon said.

"Thanks. I'll be fine." Stella replied with a smile that faded as soon as her office door closed

 **After the smoke cleared…**

Brock was the first to get his bearings as the ringing in his ears finally stopped, and his equilibrium returned to normal. He pushed himself to his knees and looked around him, searching the smoke for his team. The first thing he noticed was that he didn't hear anymore gunfire. Maybe, just maybe, their plan had worked. The next thing he noticed was a wet nose nudging his hand. He looked down to Cerberus who was whining at him, trying to gain access to the rest of his body so he could check his master over. He patted the dog on the head, trying to assure him that he wasn't who they needed to be worried about.

"Brock! You alright man?" Jason asked, after looking at Sonny. Ray and Trent, who was surprisingly standing with the rest of them. He nodded, then turned his attention to Trent, who was unceremoniously wiping the blood off of his face and neck.

"You good?" He asked him.

"Just a few cuts, I'm fine. What about...shit!" Trent said, and they all followed his eyes to Clay. He was splayed out on his back, blood pooling under his body. Trent immediately pressed two fingers to the kid's neck. The pulse he found would normally have calmed his nerves, but there was to much blood.

"Help me roll him over. The stitches are busted." he said. Jason came to his side without a thought, while Brock and Cerb went to stand guard.

"TOC, this is Bravo three." Sonny radioed in. Davis let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Copy Bravo three. Thank god. How is everyone?" she asked, scared of the answer.

"A little banged up, but alive. Spencer's not doing to hot. Did we get em' all?" he asked.

"Looks like it, but I can't imagine you'll be alone for long. You guys need to move." she said. Jason looked up when he heard the last line.

"And how do you suggest we do that? It is daylight here, you know that right? Not to mention the fact that we've got a massive target on us." Jason said as he looked down at Trent who was meticulously cleaning the gash, and replacing the stitches.

"You don't have much of a choice. The Green Berets have agreed to meet you once your over the border, but you'll have to get yourselves there. They'll have multiple medics on board for you guys." Commander explained, knowing he would for sure get crap for this, but this really was their last resort.

"How far to the border?" Jason said over the sound of Sonny making it known to them all how much he hated the idea.

"Roughly 10 miles."

"10? Are you kidding me?! Why'd we stop here in the first place then!?" Jason yelled. None of this had gone according to plan. None of it.

"Because at that time we didn't have friendlies to meet you on the other side. We couldn't risk it." Blackburn answered, feeling the anger rise in him again as his mind returned to his earlier conversation with the brass. Jason sighed, then turned to Trent.

"Is he good to travel? What's wrong?" he asked, then came closer when he saw the look on the mans face.

"His heart is racing, and he's breathing way to fast." Trent said, checking Clay's heart rate one more time to confirm his suspicions, pushing away the sudden bout of dizziness that blurred his vision. He paused, hoping Jason hadn't noticed.

"What is it?" Sonny asked, coming closer to study the kid.

"Sepsis. The wound got infected, and his body is fighting the stuff that's fighting the infection. It's a big mess basically. He need an IV in the next hour, or it'll turn to septic shock, and if his immune system isn't strong enough to fight it off…." Trent trailed off, everyone getting the message.

"Well we won't let it get to that point then. Lets go!" Sonny said, standing to his feet quickly. Just as he did, Brock caught the wince that slowly turned to a groan of pain, and then a curse word. He doubled over, then forced himself back upright. Before anyone knew what was happening, he turned around and rammed his shoulder into the support beam in the corner.

"What the…?! What're you doing!?" Ray asked, moving towards him when he saw the pain on his face.

"Shoulder…..popped out.. I was putting it...back in." He answered, trying to catch his breath.

"You are seriously insane man." Trent said, shaking his head at his teammate.

"Alright, can we move him?" Jason asked Trent, keeping a skeptical eye on Sonny.

"We don't have much of a choice, but yea." Trent said. He checked the stitches one more time, the watched as Ray once again settled the limp body onto his shoulders, and they moved towards the exit.

"Bravo one to TOC." Jason said.

"Go for TOC."

"Are we clear to move?" he asked.

"Affirmative Bravo one, you're cleared to move to ex-fil." Blackburn answered.

"See you soon." Jason said, then looked at each of his men, waiting to get a sense of readiness from them. Once he was satisfied, they moved out into the blinding daylight.

 **Almost there…**

Ray could feel his sense of spatial awareness heightened as they moved forward as silently as possible. If it wasn't for the body on his shoulders, he would've turned to look at every sound that reached his ears. They were so close to the border that they could see the sign welcoming them to the next country. Fatigue was threatening to creep in, but he forced it back, knowing it was almost over. They were almost there. Just a few more feet. Then suddenly, he got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was off. Just as they all began to suspect something, they heard gunshots coming from behind them.

"Move move move! We're almost there!" Jason yelled, urging his team on. Ray shifted Spencer's weight higher, and forced himself to go faster. It was working just fine, until he felt a sharp pain in his calf, and let out a yell of pain, but mostly shock, and dropped to a knee. The added weight threatened to take them both to the ground, and he knew they couldn't afford it. He screamed in determination and pushed himself up to his feet, now just steps away from the waiting trucks. In seconds, they he and Bravo team were surrounded by Green Berets. The next thing he knew, Clay was lifted off of him, and in the next breath there were two heads under his shoulders, and he was being carried the rest of the way to the trucks.

Jason took a deep breath and looked around the truck at his men, who were now either getting looked at by the doctor or trying to catch their minds up with everything that had just happened.

"How is he Doc?" Jason asked.

"Which one?" Jason cringed at the reply. He seemed to have forgotten for a moment that more than one of his men were in need of medical attention.

"Spencer. How is he?" Ray asked before Jason could answer, moving his head around the view of the doctor tending to the fresh hole in his leg.

"Multiple facial and rib fractures. Doesn't appear to be any internal damage. The cut infected pretty bad." the man replied.

"He still s...ep..septic?" Trent asked, his head swimming. He flinched away from the disinfectant being pressed onto the cuts on his face.

"Heart rate seems to be coming down. The fluids are helping." Jason started to relax slightly, but perked up when he heard a frantic whine from the corner that slowly grew to barking. They all turned in time to watch Brock slump forward out of his seat and onto the floor of the vehicle. A doctor was at his aid in seconds, and began checking his vitals.

"What's happening?!" Jason asked, lurching forward to try to aid his man, ignoring how his side protested the move.

"He's having a heat stroke. Has he been dehydrated?" the medic asked Jason.

"I...I don't know. He always made Cerberus drink first. Then… then he gave Clay the rest of his canteen. Dammit! How didn't I notice that?!" Jason said angrily, thinking back to the last few days.

"There was a lot going on Jase, this isn't your fault." Ray said, trying to comfort him.

"Did you run out of water?" the doctor asked, starting to eye them all once he had gotten Brock settled with an IV under the watchful and intimidating eye of Cerberus.

"Yea. We were too worried about runnin' outta ammo to think about it." Sonny chimed in from the corner. The doctor shook his head, and crossed the truck to the supply box, and pulled out four more IV's and bags of fluid. He then made his rounds to each of the Bravo members and carefully stuck the needle into their veins. Things were beginning to quiet down when a sharp inhale drew all eyes to the patient in the far left corner. Clay's eyes rolled open and took in the new scenery. He tried to sit up as his fight instincts kicked in at the sight of an unfamiliar face above him.

"Take it easy man, I'm American. Your safe. Your team got you out, and we're all on our way to get you checked out a hospital." Clay started to relax until he was met with a fierce pain in his side. The doctor saw the look on his face, and immediately searched for the source.

"Everything alright Doc?" Jason asked for what felt like the 100th time. Whatever number it was, it was one time to many.

"One of his rib fractures broke the skin. I need to open him up to set it, but I obviously can't do that here. Dale, how far from base are we?" the Beret explained, then asked his team member over the radio.

"15 minutes." the driver replied.

Clay laid his head back and bit down on the side of his hand in an effort to alleviate some of the pain. He closed his eyes, trying to think of something else, anything other than the fact that everything hurt.

"Hold on kid, we're almost there."


	21. Chapter 21

**Part Four- Mandatory R &R**

 **Bravo Team is due for some much needed time off, and after the week they've just had, it's time for them to cash it in. But first, they have to get home.**

Clay felt the truck slow to a stop, but everything around him kept moving.

"Alright boys we're here. Welcome to Fort Jefferson in Germany. Let's get you patched up!" the beret above him said as the door opened, and each of the men were helped out of the vehicle. Three more faces appeared, and began accessing him.

"Alright Mr. Spencer, we're going to roll you onto your side so we can get a backboard underneath you, ok?" one of the men informed. Clay answered with a slight nod. A groan escaped him when the quick movement sent a jab of pain of pain down his spine. The neckbrace was digging into his shoulders, his entire face was throbbing from the bruises and nasal fracture, his neck was on fire, and every breath felt as though his entire rib cage would shatter. All he could do was stare at the sky above him, and try to focus on the voices talking to him, which was becoming harder by the second.

"Officer Spencer, 27, deep flesh wound to the side of the neck, compound rib fracture, multiple facial fractures and abrasions, shrapnel wounds on the upper torso, severe dehydration, possible spinal cord injury. In and out of consciousness." the soldier said as Clay was wheeled into the trauma room behind his brothers.

"Wait, what? Did you say spinal cord injury?!" Jason asked, pulling away from the doctor trying to treat him. The team had been pushed into the same room due to the overcrowding of the hospital. The base was central to a multitude of different teams, agencies and armies, and it seemed as though they had all decides to bring in their injured today.

"Sir, I need you to stay still. Sir...sir please!" the nurse said, trying to calm him down.

"No! That is my soldier! I need to know what's happening! I need to kn…"

"Jase! HAYES! He was stabbed in the neck. The way the blade went in, they can't rule anything out. Let them do their job!" Ray yelled from across the small room to get his friends attention.

"What's the story with the rest of them?" the lead doctor asked the Berets that brought them in.

"Master Chief Hayes, looks like he took one in the vest, large caliber, two-three shattered ribs, dehydrated. They all are. Secondary Chief Perry, GSW to the left calf. Officer Quinn, dislocated left shoulder with possible fracture. Officer Grey, GSW to the right bicep, shrapnel wounds to the face and neck, possible concussion. Officer Reynolds, heat stroke, blood pressure won't come up." he answered. The doctors and nurses hurried around, mostly huddled over Clay. His eyes darted around, trying to follow everything that was happening while attempting to disguise the pain and muffle the involuntary groans that came as they prodded and moved him, somehow managing to find every spot that hurt. He saw a mask coming towards his face, and pulled away in a delirium and pain induced reaction.

"This'll help you breath easier ok? We're gonna put you under so we can get ya fixed up, alright?" the doctor said. Spencer calmed slightly.

"Sonny?" he croaked.

"Not every southern accent is me, kid. 'Specially cause that ones a She! You got him on the good stuff already?" Sonny asked with a laugh. They all watched closely, none of them paying much attention to what the doctors were doing to them, all focused on Clay as he slowly let go and slipped off.

"Wait, we're gonna have to watch y'all cut him open?" Sonny asked with a hint of disgust.

"You don't have to watch, you just have to be in the same room. And for the love of god, would you stop squirming?! Your making me mad, and I ain't even trying to treat you!" Ray answered the Texan, watching him fidget on the bed across from him. Sonny glared at him, then flinched away from the nurses hands as she moved her hands around the front of his shoulder.

"Well it looks like your collarbone is broken. Was there a blow to the front of your chest?" she asked, studying the diagonal bruise that ran the length of his chest.

"Yea. Same guy that stuck the knife in Spencer hit me me with a tree or something." Sony answered, his demeanor changing as he noticed the beauty of the nurse. The team seemed to collectively roll their eyes when they saw the look on his face. She rolled the portable x-ray machine over from beside Jason's bed.

"Hmph. I need to examine your chest to make sure there's no damage to your sternum. Have you had any problems breathing?" She asked.

"Sonny don't you dare. Don't be nasty." Ray interjected. They could all tell by the look on his face what he was thinking of saying. They laughed as he faked innocence with a smirk, and gave them a look of 'I don't know what your talking about'. The nurse rolled her eyes and soon took the x-ray. The doctor working on Ray grabbed the machine once she was done, and pulled it towards Ray.

"Alright, let's see how lucky you got! It looks like you were close enough to the shot that it was a through and through, but it looks like it was a decent sized bullet." he said. Silence took the room as the gravity of the statement settled in. If that was true, that meant the enemy had been right on their heels. That also meant that those Green Berets had saved their asses.

They were brought out of their thoughts by the sound of the sat phone going off in the pocket of Jason's vest that was laying on the floor next to his bed. A doctor picked it up and handed it to him.

"Bravo one." Jason answered.

"Bravo one this is TOC, couldn't reach your comms. Have you made it to Jefferson yet?" Blackburn's voice asked through the phone.

"Yea. We arrived about 30 minutes ago. Their currently work...ahh...working on Spencer." He said. Eric scrunched his brow at the slight gasp of pain that came through the phone mid-sentence.

"Everything alright?" Blackburn asked skeptically. Jason hadn't reported being injured. But then again, did he ever?

"Yea, everything's fine. Just took a round to the vest, that's all." Jason replied as he looked down to watch the doctor put one last pin into the large wrap around his torso that was cradling his badly broken ribs. He nodded his thanks to the doctor as he walked away.

"Well you'll have time to rest up tonight while they finish up with Spencer. We've arranged for a transport to bring you all to the airstrip tomorrow morning as long as the doctors clear everyone to fly. I'm sure you're all just as anxious to get home as we are." Blackburn said. Jason put the phone to his ear again after letting the rest of the people in the room hear the plan.

"You have no idea. See you in the morning." Jason said.

"Jason?"

"Yea?"

"I better not find out tomorrow afternoon that the kid wasn't actually cleared to fly. Don't do anything crazy. We're already in hot water with the brass for how this entire mission was handled, we don't need to give them another reason." Eric said, knowing his soldier. He listened skeptically to the pause, knowing Hayes was going over all the scenarios of how the next day could go, and playing through the outcomes.

"Yes sir." came the answer, but it did little to ease the Commander.

 **The Next Morning…**

"I don't need a wheelchair. My legs work just fine." Clay fussed as Jason pushed him through the halls towards the exit.

"Relax, it's just till we get outside." Jason answered with a laugh at the kids annoyance. Clay slumped his shoulders and road the rest of the short distance thinking about how humiliating this was. They finally reached the door, and hastily stood to his feet, nearly falling face first into the dirt when he did so before the chair had stopped moving. He caught himself and straightened to the sound of muffled laughter in the background.

"Easy there tiger. Did you forget you haven't stood on your own two feet for a week? You gotta ease yourself back into it." Jason said, watching Clay steady himself.

"Thanks _mom_ , but I'm fine." Clay answered shortly. He was tired of being fussed over and worried about, and was mostly just ready to be home. Jason raised his hands in surrender at the snide remark, then continued across the bustling base towards the trucks that would take them to the airstrip.

 **A short ride later…**

"Wow. How's the other guy look? Or should I say other _guys_?" Davis asked playfully as the team walked up the ramp onto their aircraft. Jason's eyes unconsciously went to the side of Clay's neck. After all, the last time he had heard those words, they were followed by lots of blood and an unconscious team member.

"Glad to have you all back here. I doubt I have to remind you, but your families haven't heard from you in a little over a week, so I suggest giving them a call. We'll be wheels up in a few minutes." Eric said. The all gave their replies, and soon took their places on the plane, getting as comfy as they could. Clay settled back against the netting on the bench seat, which was surprisingly comfy at the moment, and pulled open his laptop. He put his headphones in, and opened skype.

Stella looked slowed the treadmill and took a drink, the picked up her ace once again. A confused look crossed her face when the music playing in her headphones cut out, and was soon replaced with ringing. She grabbed her phone, then grabbed the arm of the treadmill as she almost fell when she saw who it was, and excitement and relief filled her.

"Clay! Oh my gosh! How...where….how are you? Where've you been?! Are you ok?" She asked, slowing the machine to a walk. Clay chuckled at how flustered she was, expecting nothing less.

"Hey babe. I'm headed home." he answered, watching her wipe her face off with a towel, and take a long drink from her water bottle. He could see that even through the phone, she was checking him over, looking for cuts or bandages. She practically ran towards the locker room praying there wouldn't be anyone in there so she could quickly get in and out. She tried to sort through all the questions swirling in her head, in an effort to find somewhere to start.

"What happened to you guys? Why haven't you sent anything?" she asked finally. She watched his expression change as he carefully calculated his answer.

"It's a long story…. Basically, I got in a little fight with a squirter, and got stabbed in the neck…"

"You WHAT?!" she interrupted with shock.

"...and then we got trapped in country, had a small standoff with a group of mercenaries…

"That was you guys the news were talking about?!"

"...finally got across the border with some help from the Green Berets, but I don't really remember that part, 'cause I wasn't awake for it, then spent the last day in a hospital in Germany getting us all fixed up…"

"Clay! For the love of god, slow down! What the heck! You got stabbed in the neck, and you only spent one day in the hospital? And more than just you were injured? I am so confused!" she said, her head mind running laps.

"Sorry, sorry! It wasn't that bad. I had a good doctor to fix me right away. We all got a little banged up, but no one was serious." he said, ignoring the glares from the rest of his team as they listened to him downplay everything that had happened. Ray shook his head, but deep down, he knew they had all done it before, and would probably all do it again.

"For some reason I don't believe you, but that doesn't matter right now. How soon will you be home?" she asked, giving him a skeptical look.

"A few hours. We just took off." he answered. She nodded, and after a short pause to let everything sink in at least a little, they continued to talk about… well, everything.

 **Weeks later…**

The soft glow of morning sunlight pushed through the gaps in the blinds and illuminated Clay's tan skin. Stella yawned and rolled over, watching his chest rise and fall as he slept peacefully next to her. She moved in closer, tracing a finger gently over the scar on his neck. It had been a few weeks since they finally got back, and he explained the whole ordeal. She still hadn't quite wrapped her head around everything, especially when Sonny let it slip during one of their team and family outings that Clay had killed the guy with his bare hands. She still hadn't gotten used to him coming home hurt, even when it was as simple as a few cuts on his face and a busted lip, or a sprained ankle from running at a dead sprint across rocky terrain. It didn't help much that he always downplayed it, trying to keep up the tough-guy act that he had grown up perfecting. She knew that was just how he was, but it only made her worry more.

Her thoughts were interrupted she felt him stir, and looked up to see his light blue eyes gazing back at her, a sleepy smile showing his dimples. The smile faded when he noticed the worry on her face, and he pieced together what had to be running through her mind.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I know my job has been an adjustment for you." Clay started, trying to think of the right words.

"Babe, I know it's your job to save the world, and it's my job to worry about you. It's what I signed up for when I decided to start dating a soldier." She answered.

"You decided? Are you sure I didn't win you over with my charm and dashing good looks?" Clay asked jokingly, flexing the arm that rested on the pillow above them.

"Oh please, don't flatter yourself! You were not smooth that night at the bar." She replied with a laugh. Clay gasped with mock offense.

"Well I must've done something right because here we are." He said, sitting up against the headboard and stretching.

"Nah, I see this more as a way to get a free apartment." She joked, pulling the covers back and laughing at his look. He shook his head with a smile and slowly walked out into the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee. This was the perfect start to another day of leave, or what Davis had called "Mandatory R&R". He pulled on a loose Navy t-shirt and walked out onto the front balcony with his coffee to take in the view when he noticed a package at the door. He picked it up and set down his coffee, a confused look crossing his face at the return address. He opened it and pulled out a fake black karate belt, and rolled his eyes. He unfolded the note attached to it, and laughed.

 _Dear Mr. Spencer,_

 _I proudly award you with this belt, and congratulate you on leveling up to a black belt. That move was pretty badass. Your teaching me that so I can finally beat Sonny in our sparring matches._

 _Sincerely, your favorite teammate._

Clay turned when he heard Stella coming towards him. She raised an eyebrow at the package he was holding and the massive grin on his face.

"Sparring matches?" she asked curiously after reading the note in his hand.

"It's a long story." He answered, and couldn't help as a laugh escaped him at the happy memories flooding his mind as the pair walked back inside, and he closed the door behind him.

Hey guys! Thanks for all the awesome reviews, and for letting me run wild with this one. Believe it or not, when I started writing the first chapter in this multi-chapter story, I was only planning on having it be one quick chapter! Then towards the end something struck me, and before I knew it four chapters flew out!

Off of that, that last bit with the package and note Clay got from a teammate kinda came out of nowhere, but I think it could make for a funny team oriented chapter about the story behind the letter. What do you guys think? If I do it, who should the letter be from? Let me know what you guys think!

Thanks again for all the support and reviews!


	22. Chapter 22

**Oxygen**

 **The men of Bravo Team are some of the toughest you'll find. Even so, they all have a dark corner to their minds. It's the place that holds all the loss, hurt, and fears they haven't told anyone about. For Clay, that happens to be drowning, due to things that happened in his childhood. He's good at keeping the fear masked, hidden from his team. When a mission goes south in a split second, and a dive takes a turn for the worse, Clay comes face to face with his worst fear. His team may be able to help him get past it, but first, they have to save his life.**

 **/**

"Havoc, this is one. Where are those boats?" Adam asked as the team crept along the the deck of the ship. He gave Clay a questioning look as he tucked flash drives into the waterproof bag, and quickly zipped them into a pocket of Ray's pack.

"Bravo one exfil is still two mics out. You'll have to meet them." Blackburn answered.

"Copy that. Alright boys, you heard him, let's go for a swim! Mask up!" Adam said, trying to keep things light. He knew the team wasn't used to him, and they were all stuck between a rock and a hard place right now, worrying about their leader back home. They all stopped at the railing of the ship and began to pull the scuba gear over their mouths when suddenly bullets started raining down on them. A loud pop followed by a hiss of air brought all eyes on Clay, but only for a split second as the force of the bullet sent him into a free fall over the railing and to the water below.

"Clay! Everybody go NOW!" Adam yelled with shear panic. They all rushed to the edge and jumped into the water. The second they were submerged, the search began for Spencer.

Clay thrashed around in the freezing cold murky water, pain shooting through his chest. He grabbed frantically for his mask, fighting the suction to pull it off his face. The water was seeping into the tank and up into his mouth with every panicked breath. He watched the water around him turning red against the dimming lights from the ship above him. As he fought to gain control of the situation, he heard five muffled splashes as his team joined him in the water. The sound should have comforted him, but instead his mind went blank, and then suddenly he was eight years old again.

" _Come on son, you can't stay here. You'll drown!_ " Clay blinked hard, looking around for the source of the voice in his ears. He looked down in horror at his father's face staring back at him, his hands dragging him deeper into the depths.

"No! NO!" Clay screamed, fighting against it, his thrashing worsening. More water rushed into his throat. Fire burned in his lungs as he gasped for oxygen, bringing only more water. White sparks exploded in his vision, soon turning everything black.

Sonny was the first to spot the kid below them, thrashing back and forth in the water as he fought to get to the surface for air. Sonny signaled to the rest of the team, pointing to where he was. They all dove deeper, rushing to get to their man. Fear propelled Adam faster when he saw the kid stop moving. That could mean only one thing, and it wasn't good. He finally reached him, and grabbed under his shoulders as Trent joined him. They hauled the limp figure towards the surface amidst the faint sound of gunfire and a boats motor. The second they broke the surface, Adam ripped off his mask and signaled to the soldiers in the exfil boat. They pushed closer, and he began shouting instructions.

"Get him in the boat now! He took a bullet to the tank, he wasn't getting any air!" the soldier nodded and quickly pulled Clay into the boat, laying him on the bottom. The rest of the team quickly followed, and the ship turned sharply and sped off, sending an RPG on course for the ship the team had just jumped from. Sonny wasted no time, unceremoniously ripping the mask from Clay's mouth as Ray dug the bullet out of the kevlar. Clay's head slumped to the side as Sonny laid his head on the kids chest. He jumped up, interlocking his fingers into a fist, on hand on top of the other, and pumped them into Clay's chest.

"Shit! He's not breathing!" Sonny said. Trent, Brock, Adam, Ray, and Summer, the new EOD specialist, looked on with baited breath.

"Havoc this is Bravo one, get a medic ready on that port. Bravo two's down!" Adam yelled, watching Sonny desperately pausing to check for breathing.

"Come on kid! Come on Clay, breathe! Breathe, dammit!" Sonny screamed, resuming CPR.

"Copy Bravo one. What happened?" Davis asked with fear, looking at the mass of bodies clearly crowded over someone on the ISR video.

"Bullet blew a hole in his oxygen tank and he fell into the water. He must've panicked and sucked in a bunch of water. Sonny's doing CPR but he's…. He's not responding. Come on Clay!" Blackburn flinched at the desperation in the voice on the other end and rubbed his beard as he paced the floor.

"Copy. You guys are about a minute from shore. We've got someone standing by. Get him back."

"Yea. Where's all this blood coming from?!" Adam asked frantically. It was his first mission operating in the field in a while, and he couldn't lose a soldier. There was never a good time for a team member to go down, but this was by far the worst. Before anyone could reply, all eyes snapped back farther up the floor. A fierce coughing fit rattled Clay's chest as the water sprayed out of his mouth. He gasped for air, his eyes darting around him as faces became clearer. The fog cleared from his vision but the pain stayed, his heart racing, and lungs throbbing.

"That's it Clay, that's it, deep breath. Take it easy, your ok. Just try to breath." Ray said with a sigh. Sonny sat back on his legs, taking a breath himself. He looked over the see the terror on Adam's face. He wasn't sure about this guy, but he knew he had trained Clay, and that the kid looked up to him. This couldn't be easy for him.

"Hey. He's gonna be ok." Sonny said, putting a hand on the man's shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts. Adam nodded as they pulled up onto dry land.

Clay felt his teammates pull his arms around their shoulders and lift him up from the floor, the other hands under the bend of his knees as they stepped out onto the land and swiftly made their way towards the dock. He heard them talking to him, but none of it was registering. The pain from the bullet Jason had plucked from his vest was still throbbing, and the minutes without oxygen, though few, had taken their toll.

"Clay? Can you hear me?" Adam asked. They were only a few steps from the trucks that would take them to their ride home. No response.

"He's out again." Trent said. Before Adam could reply, a doctor in Navy camo joined them and helped pull Clay carefully into the vehicle. Bravo team came next, again watching closely as the doctor strapped an oxygen mask over Spencer's nose and mouth and listened to his lungs, then checked the deep cut on his chin.

"I can see bone, so that's gonna need some staples. Probably from him trying to pull the mask off. I'll have to watch him on the ride home though, he might still have some water in there that he didn't get out." The doctor informed the team after a few minutes. Jason nodded and thanked him.

"I hate the ocean." Sonny muttered, earning smiles and shaking heads from his teammates.

 **Later…**

Quiet had fallen over the c130 as it continued its journey home. Most of its passengers were sleeping soundly in their hammocks, even the one in the makeshift hospital gurney strapped to the floor. The only sounds were the occasional rattle of the chains holding equipment or vehicles in place, snoring, and the steady beep of the monitors attached to Clay's chest.

The calm was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a deep, painful cough and someone gasping for breath. The team was awake in seconds when the monitors grew louder, calling for someone to tend to the patient. Trent was the first one out of his hammock, racing down the steps to Clay's bedside with Jason in tow. The rest of the team gathered around the deck or watched on worriedly as Trent quickly diagnosed the problem in his head, and got to work before the doctor could even get to them. He rummaged through the doctor's things until he found what he was looking for. He pushed the medicine into Clays IV, and pulled the nasal cannula out and held up a bucket as Clay's body forcibly expelled another round of salty ocean water. When he finished, the doctor carefully wiped off his mouth, wary of the wound on his chin. He pulled out an oxygen mask, and placed it over Clay's mouth while Trent tried to calm the panicked soldier.

"You know the drill, take slow, deep breaths. That's it. The medicine will help but just get that clean air in there." Trent said. Clay nodded, and focused on getting as much air in as he could without gasping. As quickly as the commotion had started, it stopped, leaving everyone relieved but mostly confused.

"What just happened?!" Davis asked.

"Just a minor case of dry drowning. There's a medical word for it but it's just more confusing. Basically, fluid buildup in his lungs again and he started to choke. It's rare, but in all the cases I've read about, it only happens once. He'll be fine." Trent said. He gave Clay another reassuring glance, and watched as the fear slowly left his eyes, and he settled back into the pillows. The doctor moved his stethoscope around Clay's chest as it finally stopped heaving. Clay flinched as the doctor pressed the cold metal to his left pec, pressing on the deep red bruise left by the bullet that had helped to propel him over the side of the ship. Once the doctor was satisfied with what he heard, he turned to the team to confirm what Trent had said earlier, and walked back to his seat. Clay tried to focus on his breathing, and turned his head when he heard footsteps coming towards him.

"Gave us all quite the scare. Not really the way I wanted the first opp back to go." Adam said, standing next to the bed. Clay reached a slow hand up and pulled the mask away so he could answer, despite the look he got when he did it.

"Nah, you got the job done. Just a l...little speed bump." Clay answered, before another short bout of coughs rattled his chest and made his raw throat throb. His face twisted in pain and he reached for his chest. Adam quickly fitted the mask back on his face, then squeezed his shoulder.

"Get some rest. Stella will kill me if you still look like this when we get home." he said, and walked away.

 **Later…**

Jason walked quickly through the halls of the base, keeping to himself and doing his best to avoid people. He knew they all meant well, but one more "Sorry Jason" or "It'll get better" and he would lose his mind. He was tired of being pitied. He pushed the door open and walked out into the fresh morning air, when he heard the familiar sound of a plane shutting off its engine, and then voices coming towards him. Bravo team was back. He looked at them, and almost looked away, when something caught his eye. In the middle of the pack was a stretcher. Jason's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as he stopped in his tracks, watching his team. _This can't be real. I have to be dreaming. I can't handle another funeral_ he thought as he tried to focus his eyes to see who the stretcher was carrying _Ray...Brock..Sonny, Trent...Adam. That leaves…._

"Ray?" was all Jason could manage when they got closer and he finally got a full look at the still, silent figure on the gurney with an oxygen mask on his face and an IV in his arm.

"He's ok Jase. Just sleeping, the only reason he's unconscious." Ray answered.

"What happened?" Jason asked, feeling only a slight sense of relief. They all knew the rest wouldn't come until Hayes had a conversation with Clay when he was on his own two feet.

"We were preparing for exfil when we started taking fire. He took one to the vest and one to the air tank. Blew a hole in it, and he fell into the water." Adam answered, as Jason walked with the team.

"So...so he nearly drowned?" Jason asked with shock. Ray nodded.

"Sonny got him back. Other than the nasty cut and broken finger from trying to rip the gear off, he's just dehydrated and tired. Doc said he needs a few days to let his lungs recover and he'll be fine." Adam explained.

"Uh… ok, good. Good." Jason replied slowly, trying to catch up with everything he was being told. He talked a few minutes more with Rat and the rest of his team, then walked to his truck.

 **Later…**

" _Come on son, you can't stay here!"_

" _Breathe Clay, breathe! Come on!"_

" _He's drowning!"_

" _Dammit Spenser, come on! Breathe!"_

 _The dark flooded around him, pulling him in further and further, tightness gripping his chest, squeezing around him… the hands reached down to him no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't get to them. He couldn't breathe._

" _Clay!" now this voice sounded...female…_

"Clay! Babe, wake up!" Clay opened his eyes and frantically scooted up in the bed, trying to catch his breath. He looked around, slowly registering where he was, and that the light he had seen was coming from the lamp on their bedside table. Stella was looking on worriedly, trying to figure out what to do for him. She had heard stories of soldiers waking up in the middle of the night in a panic, but now she knew how real it was. She suddenly heard Naima's voice in her head. " _Our men, they have these episodes sometimes, there called night terrors. There not your average nightmare, their worse. Sometimes they're literally paralyzing. The best way to help them once they wake up is to give them a little time to relax, and talk to them. Make sure they hear your voice, know their safe. After a little bit, touch them, gently. You need to ground them."_

Stella looked at him, watching him run his shaky hands over his face and through his sweaty hair. She put a hand on his arm, feeling the clammy skin beneath it. He sighed and closed his eyes and rested his head on the headboard.

"What happened?" she asked after seeing the look in his eyes.

"Nothing. It was just a dream." He answered.

"That's not what I meant. What happened in the dream?" She pressed. Silence hung in the room for a few minutes before he looked at her, and she met his gaze.

"I was uh... I was back in the ocean. Dad was there….. Then I was…..drowning again." Clay said. She watched him trying desperately to keep up the walls, but she saw right through them. He was terrified. She also knew this wasn't about getting hurt on the job, because he had definitely had worse. This went deeper.

"Your dad was there? Is that why you never go to far out into the water when we go to the beach?" She asked. She knew she was on the right track when she noticed him curl back a little.

"Babe, you can tell me. You can't carry all this alone. That's why you have me, right? It's not all my stunning beauty." She said with a smirk. He smiled a little, then looked at her again, and sighed.

"When I was about eight, I was out on the lake with my dad. We decided to go swimming, and we were just messing around, you know, back when we were on better terms. He was just playing, he didn't mean to hurt me, at least that's what I tell myself." he said, and paused. Stella sat quietly a listened, imagining where this was going. She knew him and his dad had had a falling out after his mom died, and that it was really bad. From how he describes him, it was hard for her to imagine them ever getting along.

"He swam under, and I didn't know where he went. Next thing I knew, I was getting drug under. I almost drowned. I didn't talk to him for two days after that, that's how scared I was. That's… that's why the underwater training was so hard. Seems like time I think I'm passed this, he - it creeps back in." He said, staring off into the distance, getting lost in his mind.

"That's why everything that happened three days ago was so hard on you. Does the team know?" she asked.

"Of course not."

"Look, Clay, you don't have to be ashamed to tell me or anyone these things. It doesn't make you less of a man. In fact, I think it makes you more of a man. You have feelings to. I can't help you, I can't love you better if I don't know what makes you tick. I love you, ya know?." she said, leaning in closer and gently pulling his chin towards her so he was looking at her again. He stared deep into her eyes, knowing she meant it. He nodded, then closed his eyes again and kissed her.

"I love you."

"Your welcome." She answered the unsaid thank you. She turned the lights off and pulled the blankets up over them, then curled into his side. He pulled her closer and closed his eyes, this time the thoughts that met him were how lucky he was.


	23. Chapter 23

**A Man's Word**

 **It's no secret or surprise that the men of Bravo team trust each other. They have to, they put their lives in each others lives every day, but the trust runs deeper that. It's the reason their kids call the teammates their Uncle's. Being that Sonny doesn't have kids of his own, he takes this role very seriously. When he made that promise to Mikey, he meant every word. Little did he know, the universe decided today would be the perfect day to cash in on that promise.**

 **/**

" _ **Mikey look at me. I won't let anything happen to your dad. I promise."**_

 **/**

"You get spun up again?" Mrs. Hayes asked when Jason looked at his buzzing phone. He nodded, then sighed when he looked at Mikey and Emma.

"Mikey...I'm sorry. I told you I'd watch the game with you…" Jason trailed off, looking at his son.

"It's ok. I'll record it. We can watch it when you get back. Really dad, it's ok! Go." Mikey said, hoping his dad would know he meant it.

"Good. Come here." Jason said, then pulled him in close. He knew going back to Bravo would be hard after everything, and it had been, but that was a while ago now. It should be easier now.

"Be safe." his mom said from her spot on the couch while Emma hugged him goodbye. Jason nodded, and was out the door in the next minute.

Jason pushed the door open to the team room and walked in. the rest of the guys were already in their lockers getting everything ready for their mission. They were headed to Mongolia to find and eliminate one of the top targets and most notorious bombers on their most wanted list. This was the first time he had shown his face in 10 years, and if they didn't get him now, he could disappear for another ten.

"Wait, we finally get to test out that stealth drone?" Ray asked when he saw the container Jason was carrying. Immediately after, he had every eye on him.

"Seems like it. Dave said she passed all her field tests." Jason answered, and watched the smiles grow throughout the room, his own following suit as he set the box down on the table.

"Sweet! So uh, which one of us gets to pilot her?" Clay asked, as they all crowded around to get a close up view of their newest, most sophisticated machine.

"It for sure ain't you Spenser! Your still a rookie!" Sonny chimed in.

"No I'm not! I've been here longer than Kairos!" Clay replied defensively.

"I may be the new guy, but I am an EOD specialist." Summer said.

"And what's that got to do with anything?" Trent asked with a huff.

"It means I know technology!" Summer replied.

"Yea right! Have you ever actually operated a drone or camera of any kind? Because if you haven't seen all the stuff I have for Cerberus, I'll gladly show you!" Brock added. The team was so focused, they didn't hear the door open.

"Yea but that's attached to a dog! That doesn't count!" Trent said. Jason and Ray looked at each other and laughed.

"Are you gonna tell them or should I?" Jason asked Ray, getting four confused looks in return.

"I will. None of you are touching it, so you can stop fighting like little kids now. I'll be piloting it from our base in the embassy." everyone turned around at the new voice.

"Aw come on Davis, can't I even get a test run? Ya know, make sure it works ok." Sonny pleaded. Davis rolled her eyes and laughed as she put the shiny, sleek drone away.

"Nice try. I came in to tell you guys that our window on Amasar just got smaller. Our source just said there's been chatter that he's fleeing the country in the next two days." Davis said, and the lightness in the air left immediately.

"We won't get there in time. We're still going after him though, right? If we don't we might never see him again!" Jason said.

"Yes, we've made the decision to pursue him anyway. Brass decided he was to big of a deal to let get away again."

"They finally did something right for a change? Didn't think I'd see the day! Do we know what country he's runnin' to?" Sonny asked, even though he thought he knew the answer, and didn't like it.

"Kazakhstan. I don't think I have to remind you that we're not on the best terms with them, so they certainly won't appreciate our boots on their soil." Davis said.

"So that's why we got the drone, isn't it. If we're caught, we're done for. Even if we'd live, the government would be in a whole lot of trouble." Ray said, making the tension in the room grow thicker as they processed the new information.

"Yes. It also means we leave sooner. Wheels up in 30." She said. Jason nodded, and they quickly got back to their stations to gather their things.

 **Over an ocean…**

Sonny shifted positions in his hammock, and his eye caught Jason staring at his phone. He couldn't see all the messages, but he could see the name on the screen. The latest text had two numbers. A score, and then a bunch of stats. Sonny smiled to himself, and rolled over further.

"Mikey still like the Eagles huh? Guess I wasn't convincing enough." Sonny said.

"Oh trust me, he's a Philly fan for life, just like his dad! I don't care how hard you try, he won't go to the dark side!" Jason snapped back playfully.

"We'll see about that. How is he? Emma too." He asked after pausing for a moment.

"Their doing really well, surprisingly. They have their days, but their doing good." Jason replied with a sigh. He had come to realize in the last few months that his kids were much stronger than he was. In fact, they were what kept him going.

"Good. If you uh, you ever need someone to..watch them or whatever, I'm here." Sonny said.

"I know. Thanks man." Jason answered with a smile.

"Sonny Quinn and kids? Now that's two things that should only be mixed with supervision!" Ray yelled from his hammock, laughter erupting in the sleeping area.

"Shut up!" Sonny yelled with mock offense and launched a tennis ball at the man.

 **In country…**

"Bravo one to Havoc."

"Go for Havoc."

"We've got eyes on the target. How's the drone doing?" Jason asked as the team krept closer to Amasar and his men where they were gathered in the outside seating of the restaurant.

"Doing great. We see you. Bravo six, do you have a shot?" Davis asked. Clay moved spots on the balcony once again, and looked down his scope. Alarm bells went off in his mind when he centered the scope on the target, and one of the men instantly moved in front, blocking the shot.

"Negative. Boss, we got a problem." Clay said, shaking his head. Jason signaled for Sonny to stop behind him and hold position at the word of their sniper. He didn't like the tone in the kid's voice. Something was wrong, and it sounded like a big something.

"Bravo six what's the issue?" Jason asked through the comms.

"I think we've been made. If not you guys, definitely me." Jason shook his head in anger.

"How can you tell?" he asked.

"Every time I move for a better angle, one of his guys moves in front of my shot. He Just looked directly at me." Clay replied.

"Bravo two and four, do you copy?" Jason asked.

"Yea we heard boss." Ray answered.

"We copy." Brock replied.

"Anyone got any ideas now that our original plans a bust?" Jason asked, going quiet himself trying to think of a solution. There were a few moments of silence as everyone was racking their brains, when suddenly Blackburn cut in.

"Bravo one if you're gonna do anything you need to do it right now! You've definitely made now, he saw you! He's headed your way!" Jason and Sonny froze where they were while panic took over the rest of the group.

"I don't have a shot!" Clay reminded them frantically, praying they'd find a way to get Amasar back out into the open and away from them.

'Why's he going towards them? Doesn't he want to get away?" Summer asked as he and Ray ran towards their comrades.

"Because he's a bomb maker! He doesn't use guns, he wants to get close enough to watch whatever he set go off! Jase, Sonny, get out of that alley right now!" Ray yelled, pushing himself to run faster, taking down Amasar's men as they went.

Sonny looked down as he and Jason started to move back, his eyes widening in horror. He stopped dead in his tracks, Jason nearly crashing into him.

"Go faster! Go! Shit!" Sonny yelled. Jason's confusion quickly left when his eyes rested on what Sonny had seen. Someone had tipped off Amasar and his men that they were coming.

"Hayes! What's happening? Talk to me?!" Ray asked with panic.

"There's a bomb!" Jason yelled. Sonny heard the beeping beside them get faster, and knew they weren't going to make it past into the square in time, and if they stopped, they would be surrounded by brick walls. Sonny made a split second decision even though he knew it probably wouldn't end well for him. Afterall, he had made a promise. He lunged forward and managed to hit Jason at the exact same time as the blast propelled them forward at a back-breaking speed.

The rest of Bravo team heard and felt the blast as they got closer to the dead-end alley they had left their brothers in minutes before. Before they could respond, they were met with dozens of Amasar's men. They quickly cut into their numbers, until suddenly Trent caught a flash of something running across the square, and raised his gun only to put it down angrily.

"Bravo six do you have eyes on Amasar?" he asked.

"Yea but i don't have a shot! You gotta get him to stop moving somehow!" Clay answered.

"Ray! You and Kairos push them forward so I can send Cerberus behind you!" Brock yelled.

"Copy that!" came the reply. Moments later, Ray came back over the comms.

"Send him now!" Brock unclipped the leash and made sure the dog's eyes were locked on the man sprinting through the town square, then let him go. Amasar heard him coming by the deep growl tearing through the air as the dog tracked him across the open area, Clay following them with his scope the entire time. The man tried to go faster, but it was no use. Cerberus had him in no time, his jaw snapping shut on his arm. Clay had a bullet through his head before he even hit the ground.

"Target eliminated."

 **/**

Jason picked his head up as the ringing in his ears started to quiet. He tried to gather his surroundings, but all he could think of was Sonny. The last thing he remembered was him yelling about a bomb, and they feeling himself being pushed forward, then the blast. Panic and guilt hit him as he realized what had happened. Sonny had pushed him out of the way. That meant…

"Sonny! Sonny, come on! Talk to me man!" Jason pleaded as he raced over to the still figure sprawled onto his back less than a foot behind him. Sonny opened his eyes and groaned.

"I...s….is he d...dead?" he asked.

"Affirmative Bravo three, five just took the photos. You two ok?" Jason raised an eyebrow at the sound of Davis in their ear. He then looked up to see a blinking light as a signal of their stealth drone. Jason was about to answer when the rest of the team found them.

"Jason's ok, Sonny on the other hand…" Trent said, kneeling down next to them and checking them over.

"I'm fine!" Sonny said, trying to sit up. Trent quickly stopped him.

"Hey! Don't move your legs! That shard is way too close to your femoral artery. I need to make sure it didn't already hit it! Damn Quinn!" Trent said.

"Metal shard? What the…" Kairos trailed off in confusion.

"The SOB wasn't notorious for the bombs he made, it was for what he put in them! He always packs them with pieces of glass, metal, nails, screws, you name it. If it can lodge in flesh, he puts it in there. And now it's inches from his artery." Trent answered, anger flowing out of him.

"Bravo four, is it safe to remove it?" Commander asked over the comms as they watched everything unfold in front of them via the stealth drone hovering overhead.

"It'll have to be because there's no way we can move him like this." Trent answered. Jason wanted desperately to keep a close eye on the man who had just saved his life, but now he had to focus on making sure they weren't all just sitting ducks.

"Havoc this is one, are we safe to be out in the open like this?" Jason asked, scanning the area as best he could with his nods. Davis flew the drone through the streets without a sound, clearing them each for possible hostiles.

"Bravo one this is Havoc. No signs of hostiles, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to let Cerberus have a sniff around the area, make sure this was the only one you guys have to run into." Davis answered.

"Copy that. Starting a search now." Brock said before Jason could answer, and walked back out into the square.

"Kairos, go with him. We can't be too careful out here." Jason said. Summer nodded and disappeared off with Brock.

"Hey! Sonny, keep looking at me man, come on!" Ray said, drawing Jason's attention from the night out ahead of them.

"...M...t..tired…" Sonny mumbled, eyelids fluttering.

"He's going into shock Trent. Whatever your gonna do, you need to do it **now**!" Ray said. Trent shook his head, growling under his breath. This sucked. A lot. He listened to Sonny's heartbeat again, and confirmed exactly what Ray had said. Sonny's legs were littered with debris and shrapnel, and he had already lost a lot of blood. He didn't have much time left.

"Alright Clay, I need you to sit on his feet, mostly his left. That leg can't move a centimeter. Ray, hand me a knife and a lighter." Trent said. The two did exactly as they were told.

"Sonny, hey, you gotta stay awake. If he goes out, his muscles might relax and move his leg. We can't have that."

"Bravo five, report." Jason said, while watching everything unfold. He needed the other two back as soon as possible. They needed all the help they could get.

"I count three more boss. There at all the exits of the square. I marked them, but the only way around for exfil is to go through one of these buildings and who knows how many men Amasar has hiding around here." Brock answered as he and Kairos headed back towards their team.

"Copy. Come back, we'll figure out a plan to get to exfil once we can move Sonny." Jason said.

"Headed your way." Brock confirmed.

"Ok Sonny, I don't have time to sugarcoat it, this is gonna hurt like hell, but you so much as flinch, and you will bleed out. Got it?" Trent asked his patient, who's breathing had become more and more labored. Sonny nodded, despite the ringing in his head and the shooting pain burning in his lower body. Trent looked to the men around him, who nodded, pushing their weight further into holding Sonny's legs. Jason saw the blade nearing Sonny's leg, and grabbed the man's hand.

"Squeeze. You squeeze as hard as you can. Don't let go until it's out, you hear me?" Jason said. Sonny nodded. He felt the blade pushing into his flesh and clenched his jaw shut so hard his teeth hurt. His grip tightened like a vise around Jason's hand as the pain burned, sending waves to the soles of his feet, then shooting up to the top of his head. He fought the urge to pull away with everything in him, his torso and hand shaking fiercely.

"Almost done man, almost there. Hold on just a little longer." Trent said, hearing the scream of pain growing in Sonny's throat. He picked up the tweezers, and firmly closed them around the piece of metal. Time seemed to slow as he fouced every fiber of his attention into holding the tweezers and shard still as he pulled it out. Just as he was holding it up above the wound, he was snapped back to present time by the sound of a gun fight nearing them. Clay cursed as he, Ray and Jason jumped to their feet, guns pointed towards the sound. They had their fingers on the trigger, ready to fire, when a voice came into their ears.

"Bravo one this is seven, hold fire! I repeat, hold fire!" Kairos yelled as he turned and fire more rounds behind him as they sprinted for the only cover close to him, the alley where the rest of the team was gathered. Jason moved forward to meet his men as Cerberus ran to join them, his leash dragging on the ground behind him. Jason felt his stomach drop, and grabbed his radio.

"Bravo five, come in!" he yelled. Trent threw a towel over the open wound in Sonny's leg that he had started to repair when the firefight broke out. They couldn't risk any more sand getting in the cut than was likely already in it.

"I'm good Bravo one! Bullet cut the leash, but missed both of us somehow, so I sent him back!" Brock answered. Jason calmed slightly, his brain then switching into solution mode as he joined Kairos and helped cut down the men firing at him. Just as quickly as the madness had begun, it was over, and the three re-joined the team.

"Bravo one to Havoc."

"Go for Havoc."

"Where heck did they come from?!" Jason asked angrily.

"Not sure, but there gone now. How's Bravo three?" Davis asked.

"Their gone for now! He's better, but still not good. We gotta move! How is he?" Jason said. Trent nodded, the yanked the bandage tight around the wound, earning a yell and a string of explicits, some most of them hadn't heard before, and were pretty sure didn't even exist.

"Sounds fine to me. Come on, up you go!" Ray said with a laugh. He and Trent carefully picked Sonny off the ground, and then they moved cautiously to exfil.

 **Hours later…**

Sonny took a deep breath of clean, hospital air and slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the IV in his hand and the monitor on his finger, then slowly moved his eyes to the person sitting at his bedside.

"Welcome back." Jason said when he saw Sonny staring at him.

"Stateside?" Sonny croaked through a dry throat.

"Yea. got back a few hours ago." Jason replied, handing him a cup of water.

"Why aren't y...you home?" Sonny asked, pushing himself up further in the bed so he could sit up straighter, ignoring the stinging in his legs at the movement. Jason left out a deep, tired sigh.

"Because I almost didn't go home today. I should be the one in this bed Sonny. You pushed me out of the way, you saved my life." Jason said. Sonny nodded, studying the dark circles under the team leader's eyes, and the wrinkles on his forehead that were much more prominent than they used to be, along with the greying hair.

"I had to. I'm a man of my word." Sonny said, then watched Jason raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Couple months back, when Alana died, I made Mikey a promise. I promised him that as long as I was living and breathing, I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Sonny said. Jason sank into the chair, the words hitting him square in the chest. He didn't deserve this team, these men.

"Thank you." Sonny nodded, and the two embraced.

Jason had just sat back into the chair when the door opened, and the team piled in.

"Look who's awake! How ya feeling man?" Ray asked as they crowded around the bed.

"Better than ever! But that's probably just the painkillers. Gonna be a pain to keep clean." Sonny answered with annoyance, looking down at the bandages on his legs.

"I could give you some ointments for that." Kairos said with a smirk, already knowing the response he was about to get.

"Kairos, you come anywhere near me with your voodoo potions and shit and so help me god!" Sonny snapped, laughter erupting in the room.

"Well at least he let a doctor pick the stuff outta him this time." Clay said, getting an eye roll from Davis and a chuckle from Trent and Blackburn.

"This happened before? And you hate doctors that much?" Kairos asked, confused.

"Hate is to light of a word." Sonny huffed.

"It was during our last deployment. I'll tell you the story sometime. He screamed like a little girl." Brock said, laughing harder when he saw the glare he got in return for the statement.

"Oh yea tough guy?" Sonny said, trying to sound angry. Jason looked around the room, his smile growing. This. this was why he came back. He loved these guys. After a few more minutes of listening to jokes and playful insults being thrown around, he stood up.

"Sonny, it seems like you've got all the company you need, and I've got a football game to watch! Thanks again." he said. Sonny nodded, and the rest of the team said their goodbyes as he walked out. At the end of the hall, he turned around for one last look, and realized how blessed he really was. After all, not everyone gets one incredible family, and he somehow had gotten two.


	24. Chapter 24 Sun, Sand, and lots of Blood

**Sun, Sand, and lots of Blood**

 **It's common knowledge that sand sticks to everything. Spend a day at the beach, and you'll likely be brushing sand out of your hair for days to come. Those tiny grains can cause big problems, especially when mixed with a gunshot wound.**

 **/**

Clay let out a sigh and smiled, feeling the sun beat down on his back which would soon give him a nice tan. He jumped up with surprise and anger when he suddenly felt the hot sand pelt the top of his head and face.

"What the heck Sonny?! Seriously!" he yelled, spitting the grains out of his mouth. He shook his head at the laughter from the rest of the team standing around him.

"As much as I would've loved to do that, wasn't me." Sonny said, tossing the frisbee back to Cerberus.

"Don't look at me man." Trent said, shrugging his shoulders at the questioning look from Clay. He saw the rest of the team trying to suppress their laughter, and looking behind him. He followed their eyes to find Stella sheepishly holding her towel, which was newly rid of sand. She tried to hide her grin looking him over.

"Oh, you little…. You think this is hilarious, don't you?" Clay said. He tried to keep the angry look on his face, but couldn't help himself. He let the smirk grow, then took off in a sprint towards her. She screamed with glee as the other wives quickly moved out of the way as she tried to make her escape, but wasn't quite fast enough. He lifted her off the ground with ease and threw her over his shoulder, marching them both towards the water. The rest of the guys watched as he tried to throw her in the water, but failed and went in with her.

"Kids these days." Jason said, rolling his eyes at Ray who laughed in response. Everyone's eyes dropped to the bags on the towels when they all simultaneously started to buzz. Clay saw the change in expression as he and Stella walked back up the beach towards the group.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but we just got called in." Ray said, turning his phone screen towards Clay. He sighed and nodded, turning towards Stella about the same time as the rest of them walked to their wives or kids.

"Don't worry, we got this! We'll stay here a little longer, and I'll drop Emma and Mikey off on our way home." Naima said, and Jason thanked her.

"Go save the world." Stella said, giving Clay a kiss. He nodded, and gathered his stuff, pulling his shirt over his head. Brock whistled for Cerberus, and then they were off.

 **Later…**

"Sorry to ruin your day off, but we've got an urgent matter. This morning, we received this email from one of our CIA agents, Reece Harris, who's deep cover in Bolivia." Mandy said, pulling up the email.

"Cover's blown. You've got 18 hours to get me out before they kill me. Seems pretty specific." Jason said after reading the email aloud.

"I thought the same, which made me think he's being held somewhere. I looked into the footage on street cams and and anything else I could get into from the area of his last check in, and found this." Ellis said, and clicked play on a video that showed the agent bound to a chair, surrounded by multiple men who were beating him senseless with an array of objects. The room was silent as the video ended.

"Well based off when that was sent, we only got 15 hours left. Lets go get him." Sonny said.

"Not so fast their cowboy. Do we even know where the video was sent from?" Clay asked.

"Actually, we do. A contact of mine found it. A small group of local drug runners are holding him in this building here. Seems like a play for money, or to make a name for themselves. Or both." Ellis answered.

"Well they picked a good location. Remote, so they won't be bothered." Brock said.

"But also good for them because they'll be able to see us coming." Jason pointed out.

"Exactly, that's why the CIA wanted you guys. The element of surprise is the only way we get Harris out alive. You'll have to make it quick though, from what we've seen, their heavily equipped, and theres alot of them." Davis said.

"Aww, Davis! Almost sounds like your worried 'bout us!" Sonny jokes.

"Yea, well with you, I kinda have to be!" She shot back with a laugh.

 **Later…**

"Bravo one to Havoc." Jason said.

"Go for Havoc."

"The target's dead. Looks like they moved their deadline up to before we got here." Jason said after Trent pulled his fingers away and shook his head in reply.

"Havoc to all Bravo call signs, get out of there now!" They looked around at each other with confusion, but moved nonetheless because of the urgency in Davis' voice. Kairos hastily untied the prisoner and threw him over his shoulder as they moved towards the exit. They cleared the halls as they moved through them, and were soon out in the open desert once again.

"Havoc do you copy? What's going on?" Clay asked, looking around them. Before anyone could answer, he again felt sand being blown up into his face, but this time it wasn't as welcomed as it was earlier. Bullets whizzed around them, pushing them to move faster and find cover.

"There's a wall a few feet ahead! Get there and wait for exfil!" Davis said urgently, trying not to panic as she watched the team dash for the cover of the cement wall that was likely once a building. Clay was on rear security, and was trying to return fire as he ran backwards, which was a skill he had somehow managed to perfect. His fire had managed to take out the a man with an RPG, and cut the enemies numbers significantly, allowing his teammates to dive behind the wall. He looked back to see how many men were left, and he made eye contact with a lone man on the roof, three stories up from where the rest of the gunfire had been coming from. The next thing he felt was a fiery pain tearing through his stomach. The sand provided little cushion as his body crashed into it, and went limp.

Jason lifted his head as the desert went quiet once again. He was in the middle of a head count when he noticed one missing. He was about to ask when he heard Ray curse.

"Shit! Man down!" Jason backed a little ways from the wall and carefully looked around it. His eyes soon caught what Ray and the rest of them had seen. Clay was laying flat on his back in the open, a few feet from the wall. Panic rushed over all of them when they looked at the ground underneath him. The tan sand was quickly turning dark red as the young soldier's blood seeped into it. Sonny lunged forward, determined to get to his brother, his mind void of all reason. That's when Summer spotted the source of the bullet, and swiftly grabbed the back of Sonny's vest, yanking him back behind the wall. Sonny turned around with anger, his face turning red.

"Kairos, what the shit man?! Clay's shot! We have to get him!" Sonny screamed, getting in his face.

"I'm sorry for saving your life! Not sure if you noticed, but there's a sniper on the roof! If you wanna be the next to get shot, be my guest!" Kairos snapped back, throwing his hands up. The tension sat in the air a while longer, until Jason broke it. He pressed the button on his comms.

"Havoc, this is one. Do you have eyes on our position?" Jason asked.

"Negative. Last thing we saw was your exit, then the drone took a bullet. How is everyone?" Davis asked, sensing something was wrong by the sound of the team leader's voice.

"Bravo six is down. There's a sniper on the roof, so if any of us tries to go get Spencer, we're next. It looks like he's using armor piercing rounds." Jason said shaking his head in anger at the gravity of the situation. Mandy shook her head. Not only was the man they were trying to save dead, but now one of their soldiers might be also. Havoc was silent as the multitude of operators racked their brain trying to think of a way to save their man.

"We can't just leave him out there! He's gut shot, he's gonna bleed out!" Brock said angrily.

"Maybe the guy went away. If he thinks Spencer's dead, maybe he left." Sonny chimed in.

"Let's find out." Jason said, earning a shocked look from Ray. He waved him away, and then grabbed a coat out of his rucksack and held it up on a stick. They all squeezed tighter against the wall when a hole was quickly blown through the fabric. As Jason pulled it back down, they all came to a terrifying realization. If Clay woke up and moved even an inch, there would be a second bullet, and it would likely go through his head. They had to warn him.

Clay snapped back to reality with a sharp gasp of air, followed by a violent pain in his abdomen. It didn't take him long to figure out what had happened. He slowly moved a shaky hand to the hole in his vest, the stickiness confirming his thoughts. He was about to try to move when he heard crackling in his ear, followed by a familiar voice.

"Bravo six do you copy?" he sighed, trying to clear the pain from his voice before sluggishly moving his hand to the comms button on his chest.

"C….cop..y." He forced out. The group let out a collective sigh at the sound, even though they knew they were nowhere near being clear.

"Good! We're gonna come get you, but first we have to figure out how to get rid of that sniper. Keep your comms on, ok. Keep talking." Jason said.

"G...got….got it." Clay answered, fighting the pain raging in his stomach.

"That's it. Ok, now it's important you don't move. He might try to finish you off." Jason said. Worries spike when there was no response, and Trent stepped in.

"Clay? Hey man, you still with us?" he asked.

"Ye….yea."

"Ok good. Can you tell if the bullet is still in you?" Clay gritted his teeth, and shoved his hand underneath him as best he could, burrowing through the sand. Once he found the other side of the vest, he moved around until his fingers found what he was looking for, and the burning pain in the wound sent another shockwave through him. He bit back a yell of pain and caught his breath, then answered.

"See…..ms…. It went…. through." Trent shook his head and pounded his fist into his leg.

"What? What does that mean?" Kairos asked.

"It means he's losing twice as much blood. Not to mention all the sand that's probably in the wound by now. He'll be lucky if it doesn't get infected." Brock answered as Trent tried to assess the damage from afar.

"He doesn't have much more time. If he's been losing blood for tall this time, he's gonna bleed out if it isn't controlled soon. We need to get him out of here right now." Trent.

"I have an idea. Keep him talking." Jason said. Trent nodded.

"Bravo one to Havoc, I've got an idea to get us all out of here, but we have to do it now. The kid doesn't have much time left." Jason said, hating the words as soon as soon as he said them. He had been to enough funerals already, he wasn't losing anyone else.

"Good copy Bravo one, whatcha got?" Blackburn asked, relieved to hear someone had come up with something.

"How fast can you get a fighter plane down here?" Jason asked, even though he knew it was risky, and could cause a whole host of problems.

"Not in time. But...I do have a contact in the Bolivian embassy that might be able to get a plane to you guys. Give me five minutes." Mandy said.

"Make it three or he goes into shock." Trent answered.

"Noted." Ellis replied.

"How ya doin' Spencer?" Sonny asked.

"F….fan….fantas..tic." Clay answered.

"Good, that's good. Just hang on, we're comin'!" Sonny said, trying his best to keep the worry out of his voice, but he couldn't help it. The kid was sounding weaker by the minute.

"J...Jase...Jason?"

"What's up kid?" Jason asked, hearing his name called.

"T..take….care o...of St….Stel…..Stella f...for m..me….." Clay stammered, the pain taking over. Horror gripped the team as his last sentence came through their comms.

"No! Hey! Hey, Spencer, your gonna be fine! Spencer?! Can you hear me?! Come on kid, answer me! ANSWER ME!" Jason yelled with anguish, ripping his helmet off and spiking it into the ground.

"Havoc this is Bravo two, where is that plane?!" Ray yelled. The answer was drowned out by the sound of a plane roaring overhead. The men stepped out from behind the wall cautiously to watch the plane drop an RPG from it's belly, and in the next minute, the building was up in smoke. The second the team heard that there was no more gunfire, they raced out from behind the wall and over to the lifeless body in the sand stained red with his blood.

 **In a very tense operating room…**

Dr. Collins looked up at the monitors as the loud beeping started.

"His heart's not getting enough blood! Hang another unit of O-!" a nurse rushed around the room, pulling the the seal off the bag as fast as he could and attaching it to the IV. The doctor studied the monitor when it didn't stop beeping, then quickly realized what was happening.

"No pulse. Get me the paddles!" She said.

"Charging….clear!" no response.

"Take it up one! Charging… clear!" after another few tense seconds, the machine quieted, and returned to normal.

"We've got a sinus rhythm." the anesthesiologist said.

"Good. Let's get him closed up." Dr. Collins said.

 **Day 10…**

"No mom, he's fine. Yes I'm telling you the truth! Well maybe I didn't tell you right away because I knew you'd do this! Yes, he's getting released today. My apartment. What, did you think I'd just drop him off at his place and say 'Good luck!' of course I'm gonna take care of him! No, I don't want to talk to Dad! Because he'll just say the same things you are! You know what, I really don't have time for this right now, I'll talk to you later. Goodbye!" Clay looked lovingly at his girlfriend who had only left his side to go to the bathroom for the last 10 days. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes after hanging up the phone. He reached out his hand and wrapped it around hers, hoping to pull her from the thoughts of her parents. She looked over and sighed, then smiled at him.

"Next time you get hurt, remind me not to tell them. I'd rather lie than deal with all this crap." She said.

"Deal. I'm sorry to put you through this." He said.

"Don't be, it's not your fault my parents micromanage everything I do." She said.

"I can talk to them again if you want. Trust me, I know all about difficult parents. Half the people I work with hate my dad, after all." Clay said with a huff, then a laugh.

"Yea, because that worked the last time! It's not you, their just set in their ways. Anyway, I don't wanna think about this anymore. I finished the discharge papers while you were sleeping. Let's get you dressed, and get out of here." She said. He nodded, and stood up. She held his shoulders to keep him steady as he pulled his jeans on, then studied the bandages on his stomach before helping him pull a t-shirt over his head. He slowly sat back down on the bed, with a hand over the incision, then reached for his boots.

"And what exactly do you think your doing?" She asked.

"Putting my shoes on." he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, that's my job."

"Oh come o.."

"I gonna stop you there. You wanna pop your stitches? I didn't think so." She said. He raised his hands in defeat, and soon started laughing. After one last check up from the doctor, the couple happily left the base and headed towards home.

 **The company picnic…**

Clay squeezed Stella's hand a little tighter as they walked through the park towards the pavilion where the majority of the people were gathered. He greeted friends and acquaintances along the way, soon making it to the food table, where Stella set down the salad she had brought for the annual Navy picnic that they did every spring.

"Look who it is! Back from the dead!" Clay turned to the sound of Sonny, walking towards him with a beer, and handed them both one.

"I guess we should start calling you Lazarus!" Ray said as Clay and Sonny joined the rest of Bravo team.

"How're you feeling?" Trent asked after a gentle bro-hug.

"Good as new! Who needs a gallbladder anyway?" Clay joked.

"Hey, now that I have you all here again, I need to thank you. If you hadn't kept me talking out there, and put everything on the line to get me to safety, I wouldn't be here." He said. The group fell silent, thinking back to that hot, miserable day in the desert, as they carried him miles and miles to the nearest town at a dead sprint at times, rushing to save his life. None of them really knew what to say, so instead they all raised their bottles, following suit after Brock.

"To the brotherhood." Jason said.

"To the brotherhood." They all replied in unison.

 **/**

 **Well guys, here it is! The most requested idea! Thank you so much for all of the answers and all of your help! You guys are incredible!**


	25. Chapter 25

**I'll Be There**

 **Graduation is a huge accomplishment for every high school student, and just a big for their parents. Even the busiest of parents mark this date on their calendars, but when you have no control over your schedule, it can get a little tricky. Jason had been praying, looking for four leaf clovers, staying away from ladders, anything to give the team enough luck to not get an assignment around that day, but it didn't work. Then the op goes sideways, and Jason makes a choice much that could come back to bite him.**

 **/**

Jason laid his head back against the pillow and stared down at his fist clenched around the railing of the bed and swallowed down a yell of pain as the tweezers pushed further into his arm.

"This is insane." Ray said and shook his head in disbelief.

"Yea, you've said that already." Jason answered, blowing out a breath he had been holding.

"That's it, I'm giving you another shot of morphine." he said, reaching into the bag beside them. Jason grabbed his arm before he could get his hand out, and stopped him.

"No! I need to be clear headed for the ceremony!" he said.

"And you think you'll be any better if that thick head of yours is spinning with pain?! You've gotten your way on everything else, this is where I draw the line!" Ray said, exasperation in his voice with a hint of fear hanging on the end. Jason looked over at Trent, whose pointer finger and thumb was currently knuckle deep in gash on his left bicep, holding it open so he could fish out the bullet lodged in the muscle.

"Sorry man, I gotta agree with him. Your whiter than Casper, and it's only gonna get worse. Shouldn't even be doing this here, but I already said that to many times." Trent replied, and looked back at the metal glistening in the light from the flashlight Clay was holding behind his head to assist the dimly lit jet.

"Come on! I'm f…. Ow! Dammit Ray!" Jason's protest was cut off by Ray shaking his head, then biting the cap off the needle and jamming it into Jason's thigh while he was distracted by Trent. He spit the cap out onto the floor, never breaking eye contact with his best friend. He knew exactly why he was doing this, but it still didn't worry him any less.

"You've got a gaping hole in you arm, and my one year old squirmed less than you when he got his first shots. Gotta make you hold still somehow. Trust me, you'll thank me later when you can hug Emma without falling over from pain. Have I said this is insane, because it is." Ray asked after a pause.

"Yea you have, but if…."

"It was a rhetorical question, now just _please_ shut up and let Trent finish." Jason sighed and closed his eyes. He knew Ray was right, they all were, but he couldn't miss this. He had to be there. As the medicine started to kick in, his mind drifted back to a few hours ago, when this all started.

 **Hours earlier…**

Jason ducked back behind the tree just in time for bark to splinter around his head as bullets flew past where his face had been seconds ago. As he tried to plan a second way out for his men-as the first one was obviously a bust-he simultaneously did a headcount, making sure all his men were still up-right. They had been in this wet, cold, miserable jungle for the last two weeks, and they were getting down the the wire. Sure, the mission was over and everything had gone as planned aside from them all catching nasty head-colds that they were ignoring, but that wasn't why Jason was in a hurry. He had two more days. Two more days and he had to be back stateside. And these pesky rebels were just slowing the process.

"Bravo one this is Havoc, come in." Jason's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Blackburn's voice in his ear.

"We've received the confirmation photos. Your hot exfil is two minutes out."

"Copy that!" Jason said, then spun back out from the protection of the tree, and fired a few more shots into the woods in front of him, his nods helping him see the three rebels he hit. He gave Ray a signal, then stepped out from his cover again to try to push forward and move the enemies back, but was swiftly stopped. Jason only heard half of Commanders reply as the bullets that tore through his flesh took him to the ground.

"Jason! Man down!" Brock screamed, and dove across the mud of the jungle floor the short distance from him to his team leader. Ray saw what had happened and covered his teammates as Brock drug Jason behind a thick wall of brush. The dark night sky and the heavy tree cover overhead made it impossible for Brock to see where the bullets had hit, so he quickly stuck his hand under Jason's vest. Finding nothing, he ran his hands over each of his legs and his right arm, then moved to the left. He didn't get far before he got his answer when his hands ran over Jason's left bicep, earning him a groan of pain and blood soaked gloves.

"Brock! I need an update!" Ray yelled, assuming the role of Bravo lead with Jason down.

"Bravo one this is Havoc do you copy?" Blackburn asked when Jason didn't reply to his message. He listened intently for an answer, worry creeping in when there was no reply.

"Bravo two do you read? I can't get Bravo one, I need a sitrep!" Commander said.

"I copy Havoc. T...took three to the arm. It...its busted. Dammit!" Jason used his good arm to press the button on his comms while Brock tried to access the damage. He tried to focus on helping the team, as usual, but the pain overrode his instincts. Brock ripped off his gloves and shoved them over the hole, trying to make sure that Jason didn't see the look on his face when he looked at the damage. It was then that he realized that although they were all trained in first aid, this went beyond his knowledge.

"Trent! You need to take a look at this! His arms in bad shape!" Brock yelled over the sound of gunfire.

"Copy, on my way boss, hold tight! Clay, cover me!" Trent answered. Clay nodded and Trent moved quickly across the jungle to his men.

"Bravo two, your exfil is waiting in the water five mikes in front of your position. Can Bravo one be moved?" Blackburn asked. Ray fired a few more shots, then turned the question to Trent, who was moving Jason's arm around while Brock stood as their cover..

"Havoc this is Bravo four. One of the bullets hit the humerus and broke it pretty bad. I need to set the bone before we go anywhere so I can get the wound covered and in a sling. I need the exfil to buy me some time!" Trent said, feeling the arm to make sure the bone hadn't gone through the skin, and the blood was solely from the bullet holes.

"Or to just get us out of here!" Sonny replied.

"We'll be ready to move in three! Alright Jase, this is gonna hur…"

"Just do it already! Y...you heard Bl..blackburn, we got...ta go!" Jason interrupted, stuttering from the pain that was making his vision stomach spin in equal parts. Trent nodded, then realigned the bone with one strong yank. The rest of the teammates flinched at their team leaders yell of pain that came through the comms.

"This should help with that." Brock said as he kneeled down, then jammed a syringe of morphine into Jason's leg, praying it would kick in fast. The was nothing in this world he hated more than seeing one of his brothers in pain. Trent finished wrapping the wound, then searched the ground until he found two sticks and broke them to size them down to that he needed. He held them against Jason's arm with one hand, and wrapped another roll of bandage around the splint.

"Your down to a minute Trent, how's it going?!" Ray asked, ducking back into cover after finally hitting another target. Things would be a whole lot easier if the exfil boat could help them cut into the rebels' numbers, but firing blindly into the dark jungle was way too dangerous, not to mention totally out of the question.

"I'm gonna get him in a sling, and then we can go. Can we get to the boat?" Trent asked. Ray racked his brain, trying to figure out a way to get his team to the boat. They needed him to step up now more than ever with Jason out of commision.

"Hey Clay, you got your flash grenades handy?" Ray asked.

"Affirmative." came the answer

"Good. Alright Trent, tells us when you've got Jase on his feet, Clay and I'll stun 'em, and then we make a run for it!" Ray said, explaining the plan to the team and those listening on back at Havoc base.

"We're gonna tuck tail and run?! Seriously?" Sonny asked with annoyance.

"You got a better idea? That's what I thought!" Ray answered after a pause of silence. Trent tied the makeshift sling on tight, then lightly tapped the side of Jason's face to bring him out of the pain and morphine haze he was in. Jason finally focused on the face above him and the hand that was being held out to him.

"Let's get outta here!" Trent said, and gently but quickly pulled Jason to his feet, supporting his weight. Jason nodded, still trying to help.

"Bravo two this is four, we're ready!" Trent said.

"Copy that. Bravo six, **now**! Everybody go go go!" Ray yelled, and in the next second, they were moving. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief once they all climbed into the boat minutes later, and were off towards safety.

 **Present time, stateside…**

"I still don't understand why we have to where green." Emma asked, pulling the dress out of her closet.

"You in white? You'd probably get makeup on it!" Mikey teased as he walked past her room. Emma rolled her eyes and set the graduation gown on the bed.

"You'll look beautiful in any color honey!" Mrs. Hayes said, walking into her granddaughters bedroom. Emma smiled in reply, but it soon faded. It didn't take the most perceptive person to figure out what she was thinking about in the moments of silence. She pulled Emma into a hug, feeling her shoulders relax as she let out a sigh.

"Do… do you think Dad will be home in time?" she asked slowly.

"I don't know for sure, but I do know he'll land the jet at your school if it means he gets there in time." Mrs. Hayes replied, trying to reassure her even though she was wondering the same thing herself. She pushed away the negative thoughts that had been running through her mind all day. She knew she was probably just stressed and worrying to much ever since her son's tour had been extended a week, but the last two days she had just had a bad feeling about something. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something just felt...off.

"You ok Grandma?" Emma asked, pulling her out of her thoughts as she pulled out the dress she would be wearing under the gown.

"Huh? Oh yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about everything I guess. Iron your dress while I make dinner, ok?" She said. Emma nodded, then slowly walked over to her dresser and picked up the picture frame. She ran her thumb over the two faces smiling back at her.

"Hey mom. People keep telling me that your watching over us, which is nice. I know you didn't always understand why dad did what he did, but if…. Can you make sure he gets home in time? I love you…" she trailed off, setting the picture down.

 **Present time, on a c130…**

Jason took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking around the plane. He waited a moment as his brain replayed the events of the last few days, clearing the confusion from his mind. He reached for his phone and turned it on to see the time. After a quick calculation, he began to panic. _Emma! The ceremony starts in an hour! I…. I have to get home!_ He thought, cursing under his breath, and shooting up in the bed. His groan got the attention of his teammates, who quickly stopped what they were doing, or came to his side.

"Jase, hey, what's going on?" Ray asked, putting a hand on his good shoulder while Trent looked him over, checking the bandages and stitches.

"E...Em..Emma! Graduation! It…..it starts in an hour! I can't miss it Ray! I...I promised!" Jason stuttered, looking around frantically.

"I know. Relax man, **hey**! Relax! You'll be there, ok? We touch down in 50." Ray said, shaking his head at the words coming out of his mouth. He knew Jason needed a trip to the base hospital more than anything else, but he also knew his friend better than just about anyone. Not to mention that he understood his motives. They'd both do anything for their kids, and Jason had already missed way to many milestones. With that, Jason started to calm down.

"Let me check that arm." Trent said.

"It's fine." Jason relied quickly, pulling away. That was, until he felt eyes piercing him from across the room.

"The only way I don't order that you go to the base hospital is if Trent makes sure everything looks ok, got it? I want you there as much as you do, but I have to make sure you won't keel over halfway through it." Commander said with a slight edge in his voice. Jason sighed in resignation, and let Trent unwrap the bandages.

"Stitches look good. Looks like you got lucky. From what I can tell, the bone hasn't moved. Your still gonna need an x-ray after the ceremony, but for now I'll just put you in a soft cast and a collar cuff." Trent said. Jason started to protest, but decided to swallow it at the tired look from Ray. He sighed and nodded.

"First order of business is to get you into a clean shirt." Davis said, walking over with a fresh uniform t-shirt. She laughed slightly at the confused look on Jason's face, knowing his mind was somewhere else.

"Unless of course you want to show up to your daughters graduation covered in blood and scare the daylights out of everyone there! Come on." She said, watching as he snapped out of his thoughts, and reached down to pull off the shirt. A few minutes and some poorly hidden gasps of pain later, and Jason was as ready as he'd ever be to watch his baby girl walk across that stage.

 **Later…**

Emma put a hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun as she did yet another scan of the crowd in front of them. A sea of faces looked back at her, paying a lot more attention to the valedictorian than she was. She was about to give up and accept the reality, when suddenly she saw him. She did a double take, a smile stretching across her face when they made eye contact.

Jason returned the loving look as he found his seat on the row of chairs in the newly cut lawn as quietly as he could, praying that she hadn't seen the mass of white bandages over his left arm. He looked to the people sitting in the chairs next to him, knowing he couldn't avoid their questions. He could practically already hear the questions from his mother just from looking at her.

"Dad! Are you ok?" Mikey whispered as best he could.

"Of course! It's nothing." He replied, pulling his son into his side with his good arm, and mouthing the word "later" to his mom when she gave him a look. He quickly looked up when she grabbed her camera and watched as Emma finally walked up onto the stage.

"Emma Lynn Hayes." Jason clapped as loudly as his injury would allow, and cheered. His brow furrowed in confusion as his families cheering was quickly drowned out. He turned around towards the source of the noise, and his confusion changed to a broad smile. Behind him in the overflow standing area stood Bravo Team in its entirety. He smiled at Ray who winked at him, and bounced around his own daughter who sat on his shoulders, next to Naima and the baby. He faced the stage again to catch Emma's eye once again, and give her the biggest grin he could. He knew he'd never be able to put into words how proud he was of her, but he also knew he'd never stop trying.

 **A few dozen names and a cap toss later…**

Jason searched the crowd for his daughter, holding the bright red roses he had hastily stopped to pick up on his way over from the base. As he watched the other graduates find their parents, he couldn't help but stare at the piece that they all knew was missing from his picture. All the mothers hugging their kids. He shook his head and took a deep breath to push back the tear that was pushing against his eyelid. He quickly pulled himself together when he finally spotted her.

"Dad! You made it!" She said, walking over.

"Of course I did! I promised, remember?" he said. As she got closer, she watched her expression switch to worry when she finally saw the bandages and registered it all in her head.

"Oh my god Dad, your hurt! What happened? Is it serious? Did yo…."

"I'm ok. It looks worse than it is, I promise. Sweetheart, I'm ok. I'm here, and i'm not going anywhere for a little while." He interjected, then pulled her into a hug. He kissed the top of her head, then squeezed her tight, soaking everything in. When she finally let go, he handed her the roses.

"You look beautiful. Just like your mom. She'd be so proud of you, even more than she always was." He said studying her features and meaning every word. After a nod and a few more moments of silence, they turned around to see and hear the rest of his family - Bravo Team included, of course - walking up. Jason stood back and watched the congratulations and conversations picking up. Ray snuck away from the action, and came to stand beside his friend.

"Thanks man, this….this means a lot." Jason said.

"Come on, you really think we were gonna let you have the grand surprise entrance all to yourself!? How's the arm?" He replied with a smirk, to which Jason rolled his eyes and laughed.

"All good here. Two little bullet holes and a crack in my skeleton can't ruin my day! Especially when I've got everything I need right here in front of me." he answered happily, watching his daughter at the center of the group, his son using Sonny as his practice punching bag while the Texan egged him on, his Mother fussing over Naima and the baby, and his team breathing in the warm summer air as a welcome change.

"Could still use a beer though." he said, then laughed at Sonny's swift agreement. This picture was as close to perfect as Jason had gotten in months.

/

 **Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait between chapters, but the holidays always have their way of making life crazy! I've got a plethora of ideas running around in my brain that I can't wait to share with you!**


	26. Chapter 26

**The Medic**

 **There's no question that Trent is an extremely valuable member of Bravo Team. His skills as an operator are undeniable, but the role he plays as the teams medic is crucial. In their line of work, injuries are common, and Trent is always there to patch them up. Always. But what will the team do when the medic, the man they rely on for all their in-action ailments is wounded and must now rely on them to get him home?**

Trent opened the door and walked into the tack room, greeted by the usual commotion of the team gathering their gear for their latest mission. They would be dropped into the middle of the desert on the other side of the world for a capture mission on a man the CIA had been after for the last seven years. He was responsible for the death of at least a dozen deep cover American operatives in his and the surrounding countries, and was the top arms dealer on the continent. He was also insanely careful, and to make things for difficult, they had a limited mission window.

"Pack the heavy heat this time Davis. We're gonna need to overpower this guy, and that's easier said than done." Jason said as she walked in behind Trent. He smiled at her expression, already knowing the level of sass the team leader was about to get for his comment.

"Damn Hayes, back on active duty for less than a week and your already questioning me? What kinda meds they got you on?" Davis jabbed playfully, raising her brow. He threw his hands up as chuckles and whistles sounded around him.

"How's the wing feeling boss? Any pain left? Still wearing that brace, right?" Trent asked, even though he already knew the answer. Jason's nasty arm wound had finally healed, and he had been cleared, but Trent knew this type of thing better than anyone. He'd definitely still have some pain, and he also definitely wouldn't admit it. But that was fine, because Trent had his ways.

"Nope, don't need it. All good and ready to go!' Jason replied, as expected. Trent and Ray made eye contact, knowing he was full of crap. Trent waited until Jason had picked up something in his right hand, then yelled his name again, and lobbed one of his med bags at him. Surprise filled Jason's eyes, but luckily his reflexes took over, and he caught the bag easily. Just before he set it on the table in the middle of the room, he let out a grunt of pain. It took him a minute, but Jason soon realized what had just happened, and sighed. Trent huffed and gave him an "I told you so" look, then slid the brace across the table.

"Put it on." Trent said, then turned and walked to his cage to get his things. Jason rolled his eyes, and picked it up.

"Nice try boss!" Sonny quipped with a smirk.

"Oh yea, how bout I tell him your not wearing your ankle brace, huh?" Jason challenged, watching the grin disappear from the Texan's face.

"So this is what it's like to get old huh? Must suck." Clay said, deflecting an empty water bottle that was swiftly launched at his head.

"Says the one who used crutches for two weeks after us _old guys_ drug your ass out of a hole!" Jason poked with a laugh.

"I'm sorry that I don't want to be covered in braces when I'm your age!" Clay retorted. Before anyone could answer, the door opened and Blackburn stuck his head in.

"Plane's ready. Let's move out!" He said, and the team wordlessly grabbed the few remaining things they needed, and filed out towards the airstrip.

 **Later…**

Trent checked his oxygen tank, then his parachute. Once everything was in order, he walked further down the ramp, perfectly in synch with his teammates. They waited until the light turned green and the ramp dropped down. They walked to the edge in pairs and threw their arms out as they jumped, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline it gave him.

Minutes later, they landed and quickly wrapped up the gear and pulled out their weapons, moving towards the targets location.

"Havoc this is one, are we cleared for entry?" Jason asked as they moved through the quiet town towards the target building.

"Good copy one, everything looks good up here!" Davis replied. As soon as the words left her mouth, she bit them back. Blackburn quickly crossed the room to stand behind her and watched the screen when he saw the panic in her eyes.

"Bravo one, you have multiple enemies approaching! Bravo one do you read?" Commander asked, trying to mask the worry in his voice. Surprise came over them all when the comms crackled to life not long after the question. Havoc watched the scene unfold on the ISR in front of them, where their men were currently surrounded.

"Yea, we see 'em! How many we talkin'?" Sonny asked, firing into the crowd coming at them from all sides.

"Fall back! We gotta find cover!" Jason yelled. Trent nodded his understanding as he and the rest of the team formed a circle to combat the enemies surrounding them. They all knew without saying that this situation had just turned dire. But it was about to get worse.

"All Bravo elements I count anywhere from 10-20 combatants surrounding you. There's a building about six clicks behind you." Davis said, her mind racing for a way to save their men.

"I don't care how delicate the situation is, if I don't get some backup, they will all die! No, there are no casualties yet, but you know war just as well as I do. Then that means you know that things can change in an instant!" Mandy cringed slightly at the mix of anger and fear in the Commander's voice while trying to remain professional. He quickly hung up when he saw the color drain from Ellis' face as she stared at the screen. Blackburn followed her gaze, and quickly saw the reason for it. They had the six bravo members highlighted on the ISR so they could keep track of them, and one of the figures was no longer standing.

"Trent! Bravo four is down!" Clay yelled, breaking the formation of the circle even more to rush to the aid of his fallen teammate.

"We don't have time to look now! We're almost at the house, you'll have to carry him! Let's go!" Jason yelled over the sound of amo rattling through his weapon. Clay nodded, and hoisted his brother onto his shoulders into the classic soldier's carry.

Trent felt himself moving, but he wasn't quite sure how. He had blacked out for a few minutes, but his memory of the intense pain was clear as day. When he let out a small groan, he quickly heard Clay doing his best to reassure him. He couldn't help but self-diagnose, trying to remember exactly where he had felt the bullet hit him.

"Get him down here, get some lights. See how bad it is." Jason ordered once Ray ducked into the room and yelled 'last man'.

"How am I supposed to know that?! He's the medic!" Clay asked with anguish. He knew first aid, and how to treat a gunshot wound to an extent, they all did, it was a part of their training. What he didn't know was what to do when the bullet was so close to the jugular vein.

"Well your gonna have to try! Tell me what you see!" Jason yelled back, anxiously pacing the floor and checking the windows.

"Uh...um..I….I don't think it hit the jugular, there would be more blood. Ray, get me more gauze!" Clay answered moments later. Trent's eyes rolled open once again after closing when he was lowered to the ground. He could hear his teammates talking, trying desperately to save him. _Dammit! Why can't I talk?! They need help!_ Trent thought when he saw the fear in the young soldiers eyes. His thoughts raced, even though he started to realize he was slipping into shock. He fought it with everything in him. It was as if his team could see it on his face.

"That's it man, don't give up! Fight for me Trent! Squeeze my hand if you can hear me!" he heard Ray's voice in his ears, then felt him grabbing his hand. Trent forced all his energy into his right hand, willing it to squeeze.

"Good! Now you stay with us, we're gonna get you outta here. It's our turn to save your life!" Ray said. Brock ducked down, then jumped up and fired a few more shots before reporting that the group of men chasing them had dissipated.

"Bravo one, do you read?"

"Good copy Havoc. What the hell do we do now?!" Jason said, the anger seeping through the comms and filling the room that Havoc was watching from.

"Your orders are to continue with the mission." Commander said, listening to the few moments of silence and waiting for the barrage of angry words he was about to hear.

"Say again Havoc?" Jason asked, his eyes growing wide.

"Your orders are to continue the mission. That's coming from the General."

"Well you can tell Mr. General to take those orders and shove them up h…."

"You can't be serious! Is he aware that I have a man bleeding from a hole in his neck?! Explain to me how he wants us to do this!" Jason asked, furry and confusion thick in his voice. Blackburn flinched at the description, exchanging looks with Mandy and Davis at the sound of their soldier's condition.

"We're doing everything we can to get you guys some backup. Is Bravo four stable?" Commander asked, dreading the answer.

"How am I supposed to know? He's the medic!" came the reply, with an edge of panic in his voice. There was a few moments of silence, when suddenly a realization hit Clay like a ton of bricks.

"The bullet's not in there anymore. He's got an exit wound! Shit!" Clay yelled. Ray quickly helped him roll Trent onto his side as gently as they could. Ray grabbed another handful of gauze and shoved it against the larger hole on the back of his neck. The groan of pain elicited by the movement broke the silence in the small shed. Jason had been pacing before, but when he went into the other room alone to speak with the Commander, the team knew this was serious. When he came back in with a fiery look in his eyes, everyone knew he had a plan.

"Alright, here's how we're gonna do this. Bravo two and six will stay with four while the rest of us go get this scumbag. Is this still strictly a capture mission?" Jason asked, explaining this plan to Havoc.

"I'm afraid so Bravo one. I convinced the general to get you guys a heavier ex-fil, but due to political relations that's the best I could do." Blackburn answered.

"Great to know the brass is more concerned with the few marbles still rolling around in this lunatic's head than they are with the lives of their operators. How much time do we have?" Ray asked.

"15 minutes." Clay took a deep breath to keep himself from putting his fist through the window above them. His friend, a man that had saved each of their lives countless times, was dying in front of him, and he had no idea what to do. And now half their team was being forced to leave them and complete the mission. Sure, it was their job and they really didn't have any other choice, but it still sucked.

"Leave them an extra clip, they might need it. Havoc, this is one." Jason said as he, Sonny and Brock prepared to leave.

"Go for Havoc."

"The only way we do this and I don't rearrange the General's desk when we get back stateside is if Derek Young is on that plane when ex-fil touches down. Bravo four has saved my life way to many times for me to let some second rate newbie doctor work on him. We clear?" Jason said. He knew he would get dinged for threat later, but last was the last thing he cared about.

"I'll see what I can do." Eric answered, knowing better than to promise anything, but also knowing by the tone in his team leader's voice that he was dead serious.

"Master Chief Miller owes me a favor. Tell him I said it's time to pay up." Jason said, then loaded a fresh magazine into his weapon, and walked towards Trent.

"Don't quit on me. That's an order soldier." He said, grabbing his hand and looking into his eyes. Trent gave him a weak nod. He flinched slightly as Clay roughly jabbed the IV of blood into his arm. _Everyone's getting first aid lessons once I'm better_ Trent thought to himself, trying to focus on anything other than the pain. He heard the door open, and then it was just the three of them. Ray sent up a prayer, knowing they would need it.

 **Minutes later…**

Cerberus pulled hard on the harness, leading his humans down the maze of hallways. He had already had to warn them of three trip wires and four rigged doors. He knew they were always serious when they were working, but something was different this time. They were scared. But just like always, they had orders to follow, and this only made them work harder.

"Bravo one to two, hows four doing?" Jason asked quietly as they crept through the halls.

"Awake, but still losing blood. Any progress?" Ray asked, staring down at his brother in arms as he kept two fingers on his wrist, keeping track of the pulse. As he felt the force of the blood pumping against his fingers, worry spun in his head, threatening to replace his typical steadiness. Clay looked up from trying to hold the bandages still and say the look in Ray's eyes.

"What's happening? Ray, what's going on?" Clay asked.

"Uh...his...his pulse is getting weaker." Ray said trying to stay calm.

"Bravo two and Havoc, this is one. We're making entry." Jason's voice interrupted the tense moment.

"Copy that. Get him so we can get outta here." Clay answered.

"Will do. Sonny, set the charge." Jason whispered. In the next few seconds, the door was blown, multiple hostels were killed, and the target was stunned, hooded, cuffed, and being drug out the door.

"Havoc this is one, we have the package. Headed back for our guys. How far out is exfil?" Jason asked. Mandy and the others let out a sigh of relief.

"Good to hear Bravo one, exfil is two mikes out. Make sure Bravo four gets back here." Eric said. A few minutes later, Mandy hung up the phone.

"The CIA would like to congratulate us." Mandy said with a sigh, knowing they weren't in the clear just yet.

"Yea well I'm not celebrating until Trent is standing in front of me on his own two feet." Eric said, then walked off to call the General.

The men took a knee as the chopper touched down, shielding their faces from the sand the rotors were kicking up. As soon as they were clear, Clay, Jason, Sonny and Ray lifted up their ends of the stretcher and ran towards the plane. They made sure Trent was safely into the chopper before climbing in behind him. Jason let out a sigh of relief when one of the men that pulled them in turned around and immediately got to work.

"Guess my favor worked out." he said.

"We both know you didn't need to pull that card. My bags were packed as soon as he said who it was. How long ago did he lose consciousness?" Derek asked after greeting them. He carefully pulled the bandages off the entry wound to access the damage.

"Five minutes. How bad is it?" Clay replied.

"To soon to tell. Looks like the bullet just barely missed jugular, but I still need to open him up to make sure these two holes are the only wounds. Hand me that tube and mouthpiece." Ray did as he was told, and seconds later a machine was helping him breathe. Jason sat back against wall and looked around at his team, checking them all over until he got to the youngest member. Clay was staring at his hands, trying to stop them from shaking. Jason looked closer, and realized what he was staring at, and he shook his head. His tan skin was stained red with blood. Trent's blood.

"He's gonna make it." Jason said, snapping Clay out of his trance. Clay nodded slowly, them moved his gaze out the window.

 **Later...**

Brock leaned further into the chair and closed his eyes. His body ached, longing for the comfort of his bed, but he knew that wasn't possible right now. Not while his teammate was in the hospital. He was finally settled, and began to drift off to sleep when suddenly the image of his teammate bleeding surrounded him. He tried to push it away, but then it only grew worse. Then it was more than just Trent, it was the whole team. He bolted upright in his chair and opened his eyes. The eyes that were turned to him were quickly averted when they realized what was happening. Ray moved to the seat next to Brock and put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Stay here man. Your home." he said. Brock nodded. They all looked up at the sound of footsteps coming towards them, and Blackburn soon rounded the corner.

"Any news?"

"Nope. Been three hours. Last time I checked, any surgery that takes more than four hours means something went wrong." Jason said, a mix of anger and anguish in his voice. He had seen two many people die in the last two years, and he wasn't about to add Trent to the list. Eric, Lisa and Mandy sat down, and the silence returned to the room.

A few minutes passed, and then they all began to look up as they sensed a presence coming towards them. Their awareness heightened even more when they saw the scrubs. Derek walked over as the team gathered around, waiting for the news. When he had brought him in, he had insisted that he do the surgery, and due to his reputation, there was little protest.

"He pulled through. It took longer than expected because once we opened him, we found that there was a small leak in his left jugular. Luckily, it was easily fixable. He'll be fine in a few weeks." Derek said. It felt as though the oxygen returned to the room at his words. There were a few nods, smiles, and "thank god"s. After giving everyone a few minutes to process the new information, Blackburn turned to his team.

"Well, all that'd left to do know is let him heal. He won't be able to speak for a little while, so you guys should go get some rest. You deserve it after today. The situation went from bad to worse to critical, and you still got the job done within the time window. I'm proud of you guys, and I'm sure Trent will be too. See you all tomorrow." He said, and everyone soon turned to leave.

 **Later...**

Ray looked up as the door to the team room opened. Surprise filled them even more when they saw who it was. Trent set three med bags on the table in the middle of the room.

"They cleared you already? It's only been two weeks!" Ray asked.

"No, they didn't, I just really needed out of the house. I love Savannah with everything I have and all, but..."

"She's a little overprotective?" Ray said, knowing the feeling. Naima is after all a nurse.

"That's putting it lightly. I know I got shot in the neck and all, but I'm still alive, so what's the big deal?" Trent said.

"So what'd in the bags?" Clay asked curiously. They were med bags, but he wasn't cleared, so why would he have them?

"Funny you should ask Spenser, because part of this is for you. I'm gonna be teaching you guys how to _properly_ put in an IV. I know you were all taught the basics, but after I looked at this bruise on my arm, I decided you guys needed a brush up on your skills." Trent said, watching the looks he got in return. He smiled as it quickly turned to madness as Sonny tossed lighthearted insults at Clay, while the younger man tried to defend himself. Ray walked up to the table mocking the cockiness of Sonny's strut, and Jason poking fun at Brock's slight gear of needles. It was moments like these that reminded Trent why he had fought so hard to stay alive, and also why he loved his job so much. These were memories to last a lifetime.


	27. Chapter 27

**Sober**

 **It's official. Stella has moved out. Clay has taken it hard, but even so, he's gotten used to living alone again. The apartment had quickly lost her touch, but he was ok. No more, no less, just ok. The days were seeming to get better, and the team noticed it. But when a freak accident during a mission sends Clay into the base hospital once again, he realizes that this time, he's on his own, and he begins to backslide. Will his friends be able to rally around him and pull him back out of the rut, or will he finally fall off the deep end?**

 ***Chapter inspired by the song Drunk Me by Mitchell Tenpenny***

Clay set the empty beer bottle down on the coffee table in front of him and flipped through the tv channels. He looked at his watch and then at the crowd of bottles that had began to accumulate on the table in front of him. He let out a deep sigh. He wasn't drunk, but he knew that he had to be at work in a few hours, and it was about time he cleaned the apartment again. After that thought crossed his mind, he realized he must actually be getting over her. For the first few weeks after she left, the place had been a complete mess. He had made little effort to clean it, telling himself he didn't have time. Then, the neatness that BUDS had beaten into him came back. Things were starting to return to normal. As normal as they could be, that was.

Clay finished tidying up and was about to sit down again when he heard his phone ringing. The thought that would usually cross his mind at this point didn't, and he grabbed it without hesitation.

"Hello?" Clay answered.

"Hey Clay, I know we weren't supposed to come in for a few more hours, but we need everyone here now. Our spin up time has been moved up." Jason said as he himself grabbed his things.

"Ok. See you in ten." he said, then hung up and began to gather his things.

 **Hours later…**

Bravo team made their way through the desert on their way towards the target area. The mission was to set up in the mountains in their ghillie suits and lay in wait for the approaching caravan. A few minute earlier, they had sent Ray and Kairos into the town undercover so that they could plant the explosive device on the underside of the target vehicles. Sonny had suggested they just hit them with an RPG, but that would make it a lot harder for them to reach their exfil in time. With the remote detonation, they could set of the bombs from a farther distance.

"Havoc this is one. How far out is the target?" Jason asked.

"Copy one, target is six mikes out. Start moving to exfil." Blackburn replied.

"Moving. Alright boys, let's go." Bravo team was moving again, over the dry, rocky desert. Sonny glanced behind him at Clay, who was focused on the mission, but underneath he was finally happy again. It was the first time in a while that Sonny could tell that the kid didn't dread going home. That in turn made everyone happy, because no one wants to see their friend in pain.

"Target it in position, the perfect distance from the town. You have a green light." Commander said.

"Copy that. 3….2…..1." Jason said, and he and Kairos pressed the buttons to detonate the devices. They watched two clouds of smoke fill the air in the distance as they kept moving. Jason nodded to his team, knowing everything had gone as planned.

"Target eliminated. Come on home." Eric said, smiling at a job well done.

Clay moved carefully along the rocky mountain path behind his team as they quickly made their descent down the mountain towards exfil. The mission was complete, but now they had to get out of their before the enemy knew they were there. So far, the only sounds were the distant yells as the army of the man they had just blown up found out what had happened and began to search the area for the culprits. Bravo team thought they were in the clear, but what they didn't know was that the blasts they had set off had knocked loose a pile of rocks.

"Somethings loose! We gotta move faster!" Ray yelled to the team when he heard the rumble behind them. They were turning a sharp corner on the mountain, but they were almost to exfil. Clay, Brock and Sonny all saw the large boulder bearing down on them, and they tried to picked up their pace. They were almost safe, when Brock and Sonny watched as Clay's foot got caught in a hole, sending him to the ground. Before anyone could react enough to get him back on his feet, the boulder caught up with him, and landed with a thud directly onto Clay's right leg. The two behind him had had to dive out of the way so that they wouldn't be caught in the path of the rocks. Sonny cringed when he heard a loud snap and an agonizing scream of pain. The rest of the team turned around just in time to watch Brock grab Clay under his shoulders and haul him backwards, out of the way of the rocks. They made sure that the last of them had fallen, and rushed to the aid of their soldier.

"What happened?! Where'd it get you?" Jason asked frantically, praying that the kid would be the one to answer. The human torso was no match for a rock that size.

"M...my l..leg!" Came Clay's reply, followed by another gasp. The pain was excruciating, tearing through his body and filling his vision with sparks. Trent quickly knelt down to access the damage. Sonny grabbed Clay's bicep in an effort to keep him still.

"Bravo one, your movement to exfil seems to has stopped. I need a sitrep." Blackburn said when he looked at the crowd of his men on the ISR footage.

"Havoc this is one. Our explosion knocked loose some rocks from up above us. One one them hit Bravo six. Looks like a nasty leg wound." Jason said as Trent ran his hands over the leg, trying to judge how bad it was without causing more pain.

"Copy one. Get it splinted and get to exfi as soon as possible. The blast woke up the town, it won't take long for them to find you guys." Commander said, scanning the area with the drone.

"Copy Havoc. What're we lookin' at Trent?" Jason asked.

"I need to cut the pant let off, but I'm about 98% sure that I'm looking at his tibia right now." Trent said. Jason was about to answer when they heard yelling coming towards them.

"Sounds like we're about to get company. Trent, we gotta go." Jason said, listening closely and trying to judge how far away the voices were. Clay heard the enemies getting closer, and knew they had to go. Every instinct in him was telling him to get up, to move, but his leg was burning up. The only comfort was knowing his team would get him out. His thoughts were confirmed when he felt Sonny and Ray lift him off the ground. The movement sent a fresh bolt of pain through the wounded limb.

"This is nothing kid, your gonna be fine!' Sonny said as they got closer to the plane. Clay felt himself being lifted into the chopper and carefully propped himself against the wall. The rest of the team surrounded him as Ray and Jason fired out of the plane to stave off the forces coming after them. Clay glanced down at his leg, seeing for the first time the aftermath of the rocks. He had never been afraid of blood or needles or anything like that, but the sight of his own bone, something that wasn't supposed to be outside his body made his head spin. Trent quickly threw a towel over the wound and put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"Hey, don't look at it. Your gonna be fine. I'll give you something for the pain." Trent said. Clay nodded and closed his eyes, laying his head back. _Just when things were getting easier_ he thought.

 **One week later…**

Sonny made another pass over the barrel of his gun with the cloth, then set it down in its case. He glanced up when he saw the door open and looked around at the other team members in their own lockers, doing the same. It was a normal inventory day. Each man kept mostly to their work aside from the occasional joke or small talk.

"Hey, have any of you heard from Clay lately? How's he doing?" Eric asked.

"I sent him a text the other day. Haven't really had time to stop in with all this crazy college prep." Jason answered.

"I've called him a few times, but he hasn't answered anything other than a text or two." Brock said.

"Same here." Sonny added.

"Maybe one of you should stop in, make sure he's ok. I know how stir-crazy you guys can get. And especially now that he… you know, has the place to himself." Eric said, bringing to mind things Sonny hadn't even thought of.

"I'll stop by later." Sonny said. Eric nodded, and soon left. Sonny didn't get much more done that day, as he was to busy wondering if the kid was ok.

 **Later…**

" _ **All those bottles sitting up on the shelf are just salt on the wound**_

 _ **One sip and I'm picking up the phone trying not to go home without you**_

 _ **And that ain't nothing but a whole lotta pain." (Drunk me, Mitchell Tenpenny)**_

The bright lights shined through the blinds as Clay stretched, then pushed himself up in the bed so he was sitting against the headboard. He put a hand over his eyes, waiting for the pounding in his head to stop pounding. He sighed to himself when his eyes caught the case of beer that was ripped open and laying on the floor surrounded by empty bottles. The place was trashed. It looked like he had had some sort of wild party, and that was true, if that meant having a party for one. He grabbed his crutches and slowly made his way out into the kitchen, only to realize that it wasn't in much better shape. _Stella would have this place shining_ he thought, remembering all the times he had thought about calling her. As soon as the thoughts crossed his mind, he hated himself for it. He had been doing so good and all it took was for him to be taken out of commission for a few weeks, and he was right back where he started. He grabbed an apple from the counter and hobbled his way over to the couch.

Right after he sat down, he heard a knock on the door. He pushed the thoughts away when he heard the force of the knock. There was no way it was hers. He groaned in annoyance, and pulled himself up with his crutches, slowly making his way to the door. After looking through the peephole, he unlocked and opened it.

"Hey man! Wow, you look terrible!" Sonny said, walking in.

"Thanks for the confidence boost. Not like I've had a whole lot to do recently." Clay said sarcastically.

"Well it looks like you and ol' Captain Morgan have been gettin' along pretty well." Sonny replied when he noticed the two cases on the living room floor and the one in the bedroom. He started to question why when he noticed the broken picture frame on the floor beside the coffee table, and the pile of glass in the trash can, remnants of what was one a vase for flowers. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"You call her last night?" he asked, watching the kids face twitch slightly at the subject.

"My leg's fine, thanks for asking. The pins and rod hardly even hurt!" Clay said, sarcasm shining through once again. Sonny gave him a look, ad he finally answered.

"No. Thought about it a few times, even dialed it. Then I had another beer and the next thing I know, I wake up on the bathroom floor with a bloody hand." Clay answered. This quickly caught Sonny's attention, taking his eyes to the dried blood on the floor, and the stain on his skin to match. Then he saw the deep cut on his hand.

"That looks deep." he said, testing the waters.

"Yea. Doesn't hurt." came the reply.

"Probably because of all that booze in your system. It probably needs stitches." sonny said, sitting down, but slowly pulling out his phone.

"Yea, like I don't already have enough of those!" Clay snapped.

"Eat this. I got a call to make." Sonny said, and threw a fast food bag at Clay, who caught it from his spot on the couch.

Sonny walked into the other room and dialed the number, waiting for the person to answer.

"Hey Sonny, what's up?"

"Trent, hey. I need you to come over to Clay's apartment." Sonny replied.

"I'll be over in 10. Everything ok, or do I need to run a few red lights?" Trent asked, worry creeping in. Everyone knew that Clay had taken the breakup hard, and they also all knew that the first time you realize your alone is never easy. He needed his team, whether he liked it or not.

"Nah, he's fine. Just super hungover with a gnarly cut on his hand." Sonny answered with a sigh.

"So sutures, fluids, and frys from that diner in town." Trent said, knowing the situation all to well.

"Perfect. See ya soon." Sonny said, then hung up. He walked to the doorway of the room and stuck his head out. He was greeted by the sight of his friend staring at his phone once again.

"Well kid, you've left me no choice. Time to send out the 'ol bat signal!" Sonny muttered to himself. He ducked back into the room and opened up his message, starting a new group chat.

Kids in bad shape, need reinforcements. We gotta distract him before he does something he'll regret.

Within minutes, he had five replies

Trent: On my way

Ray: Be there in 5

Brock: Cerb and I'll bring refreshments

Sonny: Sorry boys, no beer. The way this place looks, he's already gonna have a headache for the next two weeks.

Brock: Pizza and breadsticks it is. Always works for me.

Davis: Just left base, headed over now.

Jason: The kids just left for the movies. Perfect timing. Did anyone check his pain meds? Pretty sure those don't go well with tequila.

Sonny: Will do.

Sonny slid his phone back in his pocket and walked back out into the larger room. He grabbed a towel from the kitchen, using the motion to disguise what he was doing.

"Haven't been taking them. Don't need to with the booze." Clay said, figuring out quickly what his friend was looking at. Sonny sighed again, and turned around, walking over to the couch.

"Look man, you know I ain't one for sentiments, so bear with me. What happened with Stella sucked man, it did. But fact of the matter is, you gotta move on. I ain't gon' give you any a that "you'll find someone new" bullshit because our line of work is unpredictable. That don't mean you're alone." Sonny said. It was Clay's turn to sigh and do his best to deflect. Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door. Clay looked up, confused. Sonny opened it, and Trent walked in with his typical greeting. He set the bag of fries down on the coffee table and set his med bag next to the table, unzipping it. The two made eye contact, and Trent snatched the bag just out of Clay's reach.

"Hand first. And you better chug this while I'm at it." he said, handing Clay a gatorade. They both knew the drill far to well. Clay twisted the cap off with one hand while reluctantly holding out the other. He knew this was Sonny's doing, and that the others would likely be arriving soon also. He kept up the facade, mostly due to the massive hangover, but deep down, he was grateful. It was nice to know they always had his back, no matter what. His suspicions were correct as little by little, the rest of the team showed up. Cerberus came in, tail wagging gently, and gave Clay an understanding look with a tilted head. He wasted no time hoping up on the sofa next to Clay and laying his head in his lap. Spenser scratched his ears and watched the thump of his tail, feeling better already.

"See Sonny, I was right! Studies have shown that just seeing a dog's tail wag relieves stress. Pepperoni and sausage, three cheese, or hawaiian?" Brock said, then turned the question to the kid.

"Hawaiian."

"Damn man, what percentage is that stuff?!" Trent joked as he finished wrapping the wound. Brock rolled his eye, and plated two pieces of pizza.

"I don't know man, the pineapple does kinda up the flavor." Jason said, taking a piece himself.

"Oh, not you too!" Ray said, shaking his head at Jason who shrugged in return.

"I'm with you Ray. I'm a pizza pureist!" Davis added. Sonny laughed at the whole conversation.

"How's the leg been feeling?" he asked Clay. He had a pretty good guess what the answer would be, but he did it anyway.

"A little ain, but not bad. The cast is starting to piss me off though. How long do I have to wear this thing?" he asked Trent.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're just getting started. It was an open compound fracture after all."

"Looks like you'll be on base for a while. That's all good though, that just means more pizza parties. Your place is pretty nice Spenser!" Jason sai, eliciting laughs and a few jabs from the people around him. Clay sat for awhile longer before turning the volume down on the game they were watching.

"Look guys, thanks for doing this. You could be home with your families but instead you came over to drag my sorry ass out of a rut at the drop of a hat." Clay said. They nodded in response.

"Of course. No man left behind, right? No one should have to go through a breakup and then surgery right after all alone." Ray said, and the others voiced their agreement.

"Thanks. I think I'm over everything now." Clay said.

"Perfect! Then you won't mind if I do this." Davis said, taking Clay's phone, and swiftly deleting Stella's number. After the initial shock, Clay shrugged, and grabbed the pizza off his plate.

"Alright, that's enough emotions for a little while, turn the game back up!" Jason exclaimed, ad the others again shouted and laughed in agreement. Clay turned the volume back up, and _happily_ settled back into the couch. He was going to be just fine.


	28. Chapter 28

**Report!**

 **Bravo team has used vans as secretive mode of transportation many times before, so this time shouldn't be any different, right? The thing that helps keep this form of infill and exfil so useful is the dark shades in the windows of the vans to disguise it contents. After a successful snatch and grab mission, the team thinks they are in the clear. But what they don't realize is that sometimes what you don't know actually can hurt you.**

"Is the prisoner secure?" Jason asked, without looking into the back to ensure he didn't draw any unwanted attention to themselves. Even though the mission had gone off without a hitch, they had to keep in mind that the man thrown in the back had been the whistleblower to the U.S. of the country's largest weapon supplier. That was until he had decided to turn on the States, and leaked intel about military bases in the region, causing a bombing and the deaths of a multitude of servicemen and women.

"Affirmative, he's still out. And my fist still hurts! Son of a.."

"Bravo two, be careful. I don't think I have to remind you how important this man is. Both sides want to pick his brain about the information he got, and the cartel will stop at nothing to get him back." Blackburn said, unknowingly interrupting Clay's rant about having to knock the man out with his bare hands after he began to scream incessantly when he was captured. Laughter filled the van as Ray answered.

"Copy that Havoc. As far as I could tell, we were in and out before they even knew what happened. We took what we needed and left." Ray said.

"Sounds like that girl Sheila I dated one time." Sonny quipped from the back corner, the laughter growing as Eric rolled his eyes at the comment coming in over the comms. Brock's laughter was cut short when he looked down and noticed a change in Cerberus' demeanor. He wasn't alerting to anything, but he could tell that the dog sensed something that they didn't. Ray felt the same thing as he glanced out of the drivers side window and searched the open countryside. The air suddenly left the room as Havoc caught something flying in from the corner of their screen. Davis grabbed the comms to warn the team, but it was to late.

"RPG! Hold on!" Ray screamed, slamming his foot onto the breaks, trying to get them out of the path of the missile, but it was to late. It slammed into the road inches in front of the vans front bumper, lifting the vehicle off of the ground and tossing it through the air like it was nothing. Glass shattered, metal crunched, and bones snapped. Havoc looked on in stunned silence as the van finally came to rest on its wheels again after multiple barrel rolls, and waited for the smoke to clear.

 **/**

Brock opened his eyes and moved them across the desert surrounding him. He blinked a few times, trying to clear the dust from his vision and the pain from his head. The first sight that his eyes caught nearly took the air out of him. About a foot away, Cerberus lay on his side, completely still. Brock forced himself up to his hands and knees, crawling over to his partner despite the pain screaming through the left side of his body.

"No, no no, Cerb, hey, come on!" he pleaded, stroking the dogs fur. He let out a gasp of emotion when the kanine came to, and after a small whine, wasted no time getting to his feet. Brock tried to check him for injuries, but before he could, the dog took off towards the wreckage. Brock stared in horror at the mangled pile of metal for a moment before following as fast as his aching body would allow. His ears were still ringing as he called out the names of his team members, praying for them to respond. He soon saw Kairos emerge from the van, pulling Jason with him. Next came Trent and Clay, leaving only two more. Trent knew that he was likely hurt but the adrenaline was masking it, and decided to allow it for now. His mind shifted into autopilot as he looked around at his team, trying to diagnose them all at once. When he took stock of the fact that at least two were well enough to stand, he turned his focus to Clay who had just woken up. It didn't take much examining for him to figure out what was wrong with Clay.

"Woah, easy. I think you took a pretty hard knock to the head." he said as Clay shakily forced himself to his feet, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily to try to make the world stop spinning at a thousand miles an hour.

"I….I'm fine. G..go go check on everyone e...else." He answered.

"I will, but I'm gonna need your help, so at least let your equilibrium even out for a minute!" Trent said, seeing the stubborn look on the kids face. Clay nodded, and Trent then moved to where Kairos was trying to keep Jason calm and awake while Brock and Clay pulled Ray and Sonny out of the vehicle. Trent brushed the blood out of his eye and motioned for everyone to move or be moved to one spot so he could try to access who was worst off. He knew it wasn't Sonny by the sound of the words flying from his mouth. He rolled up Jason's shirt to reveal a deep purple bruise peeking out from the waistband on his pants, which could mean only one thing, and it wasn't good.

"R…..Ray? Wh… where i…...is everyo...ne?" Jason sputtered, fighting to keep his eyes open as he fought against Kairos' grip in an effort to check on his men.

"Jase, you gotta stop moving. **Jason!** The seatbelt dug into your side, your bleeding internally. Everytime you move, your making it worse. Keep him still." Trent said, grabbing Jason's jaw to make sure he was listening, then looked up at Kairos. It was then after a quick once-over that he saw that despite his wishes, none had gotten out completely unscathed. After doing his best for Jason, knowing he would soon have to be moved, he maneuvered himself behind the bomb tech and pressed two rough hands on his right shoulder. Kairos instinctively tensed up, pain pulsing through his right side.

"One...t…" the soldier bit down so hard his jaw hurt as he felt the ball of his shoulder pop back into place.

Trent looked at his next patient, and his heart dropped to his stomach. It was bad. Real bad. Ray's eyes were darting back and forth as his body switched into panic mode, trying to suck air into his body, but realizing it couldn't.

"Shit man, he's got blood in his mouth!" Clay said, clearly doing his own form of panicking.

"C….can't…..br..breathe!" Ray choked out between wheezes.

"I know man, I know. Your lungs punctured. I gotta put a tube in, but there's no way I can do it here! Stay here, alright? Stay with me!" Trent said, his mind doing laps as he tried to form a plan.

"Brock, Sonny, find my med bags and grab the tarps off the top of the van. Ray and Jase can't be carried." Trent said. Right now there was no one in charge, there was to much at stake.

 _Are we alone out here? They see this smoke and they'll be on top of us!_

"Any Bravo call sign report!" Suddenly, the sound of desperation reached Trent's ears, and it finally occurred to them that the last time any of them had spoken to Havoc was just before the crash. Everything was happening so fast. The events since the crash that had felt like an eternity were in reality only a few fleeting minutes.

"Havoc this is Four. Anyone found us yet?" Trent said. A deep sigh escaped Davis as Blackburn grabbed the comms so fast he nearly dropped it.

"No, your surroundings are clear. Is anyone injured?"

"Copy. We're all a little banged up, but One and Two got the worst of it. Jason's bleeding internally and from what I can tell, Ray's got a punctured lung. Looks like we're gonna have to crash some nice family dinner." Trent replied, searching the area for Clay.

"Spenser! You with me?" he asked, grabbing the kid's helmet when he saw the dazed look in his eyes. He nodded his response, albeit sluggishly.

"You speak the language here?"

"Uh.. y..yea. Yea it's uh.. Yea, I do." Clay stammered, blinking as he tried to collect himself. _Fantastic. Our interpreters so damn concussed it's a wonder he even knows what country we're in!_ Trent was brought out of his thoughts by Cerberus' lowl growl, trying to warn his master of an incoming threat. Trent followed the dog's eyes, and saw the barrel of a gun sticking up from behind a tree.

"Brock! Get down!" Trent screamed, but it was to late. The cracks of gunfire filled the air as all hell broke loose. Trent watched a mist of blood spray into the air as Brock collapsed, and he ducked for cover. He tried to get to his fallen brother, but there wasn't any openings. Next thing he knew, Cerberus lurched forward from behind the safety of cover, and took off towards his owner, with clearly no regard for his own well-being. Trent grabbed his handgun and fired over the hood of the vehicle, attempting to give the dog some cover. Cerberus grabbed a mouthful of Brocks tac vest and shirt in his powerful jaw, and drug him quickly as he could to where Clay was ducked behind an abandoned vehicle.

"Good boy Cerb! Brock, hey man, your gonna be fine! It's nothing!" Clay said as he began to search his half-conscious friend for the bullet hole that had left the trail of blood in the dust. Kairos and Sonny looked on worriedly as dust and debris kicked up in their faces from the surrounding bullets. Suddenly, Kairos caught on to Cerberus' nervous pacing. He finally spoke up when he saw the dog sit down.

"Uh, guys?!" He said, but was cut off by an ear piercing bang coming from the car's engine. He and Sonny threw themselves over Jason and Ray to shield them from the blast as best they could.


	29. Chapter 29

**Triage**

 **They had known that this mission was high-risk from the moment they sat down in the team room, but now that they were trapped in open desert surrounded by the enemy, the risk is much more apparent. And the fact that a few of their brothers are in critical condition doesn't help the situation.**

 **Three days earlier…**

"Jameelah, come on, get your shoes. We gotta go!" Naima said, picking up her coat. She plopped down on the couch and pulled them on as Naima made one last check of her diaper bag, then looked down the hallway when she didn't hear footsteps.

"Ray, we're gonna be late!" she said, but stopped quickly when he came around the corner and saw that he had a phone in his hand, the baby in the other.

"Yes sir, I understand." Ray replied, then hung up.

"Naima, I'm sorry, I was planning on going back today.."

"You know for a SEAL, your a really bad liar. It's ok, I know your still sorting everything out. Be safe." she said, raising an eyebrow at him, then pulling him into a hug. He nodded in response and kissed the kids and their mother, walking back into the bedroom to change as they left.

 **/**

"So I was thinking that tomorrow, we could go look at the house on 7th street. I talked to the realtor and they said they have a nice armed forces discount!" Savannah said, taking a sip of her soda.

"That's awesome! Then we could finally get a dog!' Trent said with a smirk, knowing the answer he was about to get, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Don't you get your fill of dog with Cerberus?" she asked with an eye roll and a laugh.

"He's working most of the time, it's not the same! And besides, if we get a new house it couldn't hurt to have someone there to protect you when I'm gone! And I mean come on, would you look at that face?!" Trent reasoned.

"I appreciate the sentiment. I'll think about it!" She replied. Trent shook his fist in happiness, then started back in on his sandwich when his phone rang. His smile changed slightly to one of duty as he answered the call. He laid his debit card on the table as he hung up.

"You don't have to pay for it you know." Savannah said as she watched him stand.

"If I have to leave in the middle of a date, yea I do." He replied.

"Come home to me, and we'll finish the date."

"Deal." He said, and leaned down to give her a kiss.

 **Present time...**

Trent slowly raised his head as he felt the blast settle, and once again searched for his men.

"Sonny, Kairos, how are One and Two?" he yelled over the sound of gunfire. They were surrounded in the hills by enemy combatants, while also being separated from each other.

"Alive, but Ray's gettin' worse man. Jase passed out, and I'm guessing that's not a good sign either." Sonny answered back through the comms.

"I'm on my way over, cover me!" Trent answered, then waited until he heard the sound of weapons closer to him, and moved to where the four men were huddled together behind what was left of the van. He quickly moved in between the two Bravo leaders, his mind racing as he tried to choose which one to check first. He pressed two fingers to Jason's neck, and when he was met with an abnormal pulse, but one nonetheless, he decided to move to Ray. He listened to the breath sounds - or lack thereof - and shook his head, knowing what needed to be done, but still hating the thought of it.

"I don't like that look man…" Kairos said uneasily.

"His lung is filling up with fluid and blood. I have to drain it now, or he'll drown." Trent said.

"Alright, and how exactly do you plan on doin' that?" Sonny asked.

"I need to put a chest tube in, which means I have to cut him open." he replied, getting two shocked and worried looks in response. Trent opened his med bag, ducking as more shots rang out.

"Hey Ray, you with me man?" he asked, lightly tapping his cheek. He silently prayed that he wasn't conscious, because that would mean he would probably feel everything a lot more.

"Y….yea. Ch….chest tube?" Ray questioned, hoping he hadn't heard correctly, because if he had, the pain that was filling his chest would only get worse.

"I'm sorry man, I have to." Trent said. He pulled out the wipes and cleaned off his knife, then carefully moved Ray's arm up by his head, setting his knee next to it to hold it there. He counted down his ribs, and found the two he needed to go between.

"This is gonna hurt. Just stay with me." He said. Ray nodded. Trent was about to make the incision when he heard his comms crackle to life, and a faint voice on the other end.

"Bravo four, this is six, do you read?"

"Copy Six, this is three. Four is a little tied up at the moment. How're ya doin'?" Sonny answered while Trent listened intently.

"N...not good. Five…..uh..the bullet, it uh… it hit him in the face." Trent nearly dropped everything he was holding. Instead of the usual curse words that would be heard, there was silence. Stunned, gut wrenching silence.

"Is there a pulse?" Trent asked slowly.

"Uh...yea. There's uh….there's two holes. It went in by…..his cheek... Ca...came out be….behind his e..ear." Clay replied. Sonny waited until Trent had taken his finger off the comms, and said what they were all thinking, listening to the Clay's speech.

"Sounds to me like shit just hit the fan. The kid doesn't sound to hot either."

"This is what, his third concussion? Not to mention it's hot as hell out here, and none of us have slept more than two hours the last three days. I don't like any of this." Trent answered. He now had to three, possibly four men in critical condition. Four of them and three of him.

"Alright six, I can't get to you right now, so I'm gonna send seven over. How're you feeling?" Trent said. He shot Kairos a worried look when the comms stayed quiet.

"Six, this is seven, I'm on my way. Do you copy?" Kairos asked, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"...Yea…..juss… really h...hot."

"Dammit Clay! Take this bag with you. From what I can tell, he's either having a heatstroke or he's got bad head trauma. I need you to check if there's any fluid coming from his ears or nose. As far as Brock goes, make sure he's still breathing properly and try to stop the bleeding. And pray whatever hit him wasn't a large caliber." Trent said quietly, then handed Kairos one of the med bags. He grimaced when he instinctively took it with his right hand. He tried to mask it, but Trent could tell he was in pain, but was hiding it because of the others, much like himself. Despite how badly he wanted to check him over again, Ray's breathing was getting more and more shallow by the minute.

"I'll cover you. Go!" Sonny said then jumped up, spraying bullets into the hills around them. Minutes later, Kairos was gone.

"Alright Ray, this'll burn but you might be able to breathe a little better afterwards." Trent said, then slowly and carefully made the incision in Ray's rib cage. Fear welled up inside him when the man didn't make a single sound through the entire process. He checked his pulse again after taping the tube in place. It was there, but it was weak.

"I'll keep an eye on him, you check on Jase." Sonny said. Trent nodded and turned around. The movement sent a bolt of pain through his chest. It was then that he realized his adrenaline must've finally worn off.

"Hey man, you good? You've been doing so much checking up on other people, how are you?" Sonny asked when he noticed the pause.

"I'm fine. We don't have time to worry about me. Seven, how's it looking over there?" he asked, expertly deflecting the questions.

"Everyone's alive and breathing, but Brock needs surgery. I'm holding his ear on." Kairos answered.

"Copy seven. Hopefully not to much longer." Trent answered, looking at Jason's abdomen. The bleeding had definitely worsened.

"Any Bravo element, do you copy?" the members of Bravo team that were conscious sighed with relief.

"Good copy Havoc, this is three. Anyone comin' to get us?" Sonny asked, trying to mask the desperation in his voice.

"Affirmative three, we've got two choppers headed your way with medics on board. How is everyone?" Davis asked, doing her best to keep her emotions at bay. This was the first time she had heard his voice since the explosion, and they still weren't safe yet. Not to mention the others who were on their last leg right now.

"Alive, but those choppers better get here fast. One and two are fading, and five just took a round to the face." Mandy's gasp was audible to the other members of Havoc as the words came over the radio. Blackburn checked the ETA of the pilots, and sent up another prayer.

 **A tense chopper ride later…**

The scene that met Commander Blackburn as he walked from the command area of the plane to the main area was enough to horrify even the toughest man. After being lifted out of the desert, Bravo team was flown back to the small building they had been calling ops only to be quickly ushered onto their jet that was now taking them to a military hospital in Canada. Jason, Ray, and Brock were already being swarmed by doctors and hooked up to various machines. Clay had surprisingly put up little fight. Kairos was the only one who willingly allowed himself to be looked at. Now it was Blackburn's turn to do the hardest part: convince Sonny and Trent to let themselves be evaluated. He was preparing his argument for the Texan as he walked over, when his eyes suddenly caught something. The side of the soldiers uniform, just under the armpit, was soaked with blood.

"Sonny, hey, I need you to stop moving, ok?" Eric said quickly, trying to stay calm.

"What? Why?" he asked, despite feeling his eyelids getting heavy, and a deep, thick pain in his side.

"I need a doctor over here! Sonny, there's a piece of metal in your armpit. Don't move your arm, ok? You'll be fine." He yelled, watching Davis' eye widen with fear as they followed his to the wound. Before Sonny knew what was happening, he was lifted onto a bed and an oxygen mask was strapped to his face. After giving Davis a weak nod, he let the exhaustion take him. Her attention was quickly taken from him and drawn towards the sound of a pain-filled grunt. She turned just in time to see Trent press a hand to his chest as his knees buckled, forcing his weight onto Eric.

"I think you have a sternal injury sir. You need to lay down." A doctor said, sliding himself under Trent's shoulder to help support his weight.

"N…..no..no I need….I need to ch..check on every...one." He said, trying to stand up on his own.

"Sorry, this choice isn't up to you anymore. You've checked on everyone enough already today, it's your turn to be taken care of." Eric said, and helped them again lfit one of his men onto a gurney. This task soon became harder as the man finally passed out after holding strong all day. Minutes later, there was quiet once again. Now all that was left to do was ride, and pray the plane would go faster as it carried his men towards the medical attention they desperately needed.


	30. Chapter 30

**Worst Case Scenario**

 **Everything happened so fast. That's what you always hear after a traumatic event, and this time it was true. In a matter of seconds, a carefully planned mission had been blown to bits, literally and figuratively. Now it's up to the doctors to put the men back together.**

Eric stared down at the paperwork in front of him, trying to think of yet another way to avoid it. It needed to be done, but something about writing the after-action report while his men were still in the hospital, a few even still in surgery, just felt wrong. There should be a report any minute now. Then he remembered the other thing he would soon have to do, and suddenly paperwork didn't sound so bad.

"Hey. How's the report going?" Eric looked up to the voice coming towards him. Davis sighed as she leaned against his desk.

"It's going, I guess. Any words on our guys yet?" he asked, studying the tired look in her eyes that was clearly a front for the fear.

"Kairos was just cleared and should be coming back to the jet any minute now. Clay has some minor head trauma and a few broken ribs, so they want to keep him for observation for a day or two. Their letting us keep the jet here, but it sounds like they want us gone as soon as we have all our men back." she replied. Blackburn nodded. The silence that followed was soon interrupted by the sound of the military issued phone ringing.

"Lt. Commander Blackburn speaking." Eric answered, picking it up.

"Hello Commander, this is Dr. Adams. I have a report on your men. I was told that you have already been informed of the conditions of Petty Officers Kairos and Spencer, is that correct?" he asked.

"That is correct sir, thank you."

"Your welcome. As for the others, Petty Officer Grey suffered a broken sternum, likely from blunt force trauma to the front of his body. My team inserted a small plate to aid in the healing. Other than a few broken ribs and lacerations, I expect him to be released in a few days. The gsw to the side of Petty Officer Reynolds' face was localized mostly to the left ear, with minor damage to his jaw when the bullet clipped it on the way out. We were able to reattach the damaged cartilage, but the eardrum did rupture. We were able to repair it, but he will have some hearing loss for a few weeks. Petty Officer Quinn…" the fear once again gripped Davis as she heard Sonny's name faintly through the phone. She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to know how he was doing. She remembered how he hadn't seemed to bad when they had gotten them all to the plane to leave the country, and then the next time she turned around, he was on a gurney with doctors cutting his uniform off. She remembered the look he gave her just before he passed out.

"...whiplash, so he'll have a neck brace for a while. The shard of metal was lodged in his brachial artery, making the surgery quite difficult. When it was removed, it was found that because he had been out in the desert for an extended amount of time with a serious injury, it caused some nerve damage. It will heal with time, but he will have a significant amount of pain until then…" Commander sighed quietly, trying to hide the emotions raging inside him as he sat there, unable to do anything but listen. With each new report, he couldn't help but kick himself, wondering what would've happened if he had just gotten to them faster, if he had only sent an extra protection detail, then maybe, just maybe…

"...I'm not sure how to say this sir, but Master Chief Hayes and Secondary Chief Perry are still in very critical condition…" Eric rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath, not sure whether or not to be relieved. They were not the words he had expected after the beginning of that sentence.

"...Master Chief Hayes suffered a ruptured spleen and perforated pancreas, which caused major internal bleeding that put stress on his heart. He nearly didn't make it through the surgery, and will have quite the recovery ahead of him. When Chief Perry came in, his left lung was collapsed and his right was punctured, with two shattered ribs and multiple other broken bones. This was due to the missile hitting closest to the drivers side. We lost him once during surgery, but it was a miracle he even made it that far. Whatever your field medic did definitely saved his life. He will be on a ventilator until he can breath on his own, and it's uncertain when that will be. Until your last two men are deemed stable to fly, I'm afraid your team will be grounded here. I hate to say this, but you may want to make arrangements with their next of kin in the event that things take a turn for the worse in the days to come. That being said, I can assure you that we will do everything we can for them." Dr. Adams said. Eric listened to the sound of the static through the phone for a few moments as he let everything settle in.

"Thank you Doctor. I will have the phone on me in case anything changes." Blackburn said, then hung up. He set the phone down before letting his head drop into his hands. The team had had quite a few rough missions, and more than their fair share of injuries, but this? This was incomparable.

"Sir, there's someone here to see you. Should I tell them it's a bad time?" soldier on board asked.

"No, it's fine, I could use the distraction." Commander answered, then stood and collected himself as the doors to the jet opened, a man from the CIA walked in.

"Lt. Commander, hello. My name is Brandon Masters. I'm here about the condition of our asset." the man said. Eric gave Mandy a confused look after shaking the man's hand.

"I'm sorry, were you not informed that our asset was killed in the crash? I made the call to our supervisor earlier." Mandy asked curiously.

"I was indeed informed, but my reason for being here still stands. I was assured that my asset would be delivered to me by your team safely, and ready to answer my questions. Why is that not the case?" Brandon asked. Eric's blood began to boil at the sound of the last sentence. It could come across as a genuine question, but this was anything but that.

"If you were informed that he was dead, then I'm sure your were told that there was an accident. My team's vehicle was hit with an RPG, leaving them all wounded." Eric replied, using every ounce of control to keep him from knocking the man out cold.

"And why wasn't any action taken to save the asset?" Now all bets were off, and Mandy could see it. She tried to step in and end the conversation, but it was to late. Within the next second, Blackburn was inches from the agent's face.

"Who do you think you are?! How dare you come after my team. You have no idea whether or not any medical attention was given to the prisoner, none of us do! Why? Because my soldier, the team medic, is currently in the ICU of the hospital that you passed on the way in in your ritzy car, along with the rest of his team. He fought to save the lives of his brothers, all the while neglecting his own health and well-being to ensure that the Master Chief gets to watch his son play hockey again, or that the secondary chief will be able to see his baby baptized, or that even the team's bomb dog gets to go home as well! And I'd say that that's pretty damn important, because unlike your _asset_ , the bomb dog didn't turn on his country, sell their soldiers to the enemy, and come crying back when the other side threatened his life!" Eric answered, his voice seeming to get louder with every word.

"Are you comparing him to a dog? The man had credible Intel that could've helped the CIA bring down multiple wanted men." Brandon asked, not backing away at all.

"Screw your Intel! That traitor is the reason that seven of my men are lying in hospital beds, two of them clinging to life. I know they all seem like pawns to do your bidding to you, but these men have families. Learn some respect, and get off my aircraft before I remove you myself!" Eric yelled. As his words echoed off the walls of the plane and everyone and everything fell silent, the man shot Mandy a look, who returned it, then turned and stormed off the aircraft. Before Blackburn could even say a word, Ellis dialed the number of her supervisor.

"Do you mind telling me exactly why Master's just showed up on my aircraft?!" she asked furiously. Eric stormed towards the sleeping quarters to collect himself while Mandy walked to a corner to finish the phone call, leaving Davis to try and wrap her head around everything that had happened, and everything that had been said.

 **A few hours later…**

Naima fixed the elastic of her scrubs as she walked through the halls of the hospital where she worked. She looked at the clock once again. It was almost the end of her shift, and he still hadn't called. She tried to tell herself that he was probably just busy, that the mission was classified and couldn't be talked about, anything to distract her mind from the dark place of worry that it wanted to go.

"Naima, there's a call for you. It's from the base, they said it's urgent." the nurse at reception said, getting her attention.

"Ok. tell them I'll call from my phone in the break room." She said, forcing the words out of her. Her worst fears were coming true, and all she could do was hurry to the break room as fast as she could move.

"Hello, is this Naima Perry?" Naima put a hand over her mouth at the sound of the voice on the other end. She knew these types of calls. She gathered herself, and replied.

"Yes, hello Eric. Did...did something happen?"

"I'm afraid so. Look, I don't really know how to put this lightly, so I'll just say it. The team was in a bad accident, and Ray is in critical condition." Blackburn said, closing his eyes as he listened to the muffled gasp on the other end.

"How bad is it? Please, I….I need to know." Naima asked slowly.

"There was trauma to both of his lungs and multiple broken bones. He is touch and go right now, but the doctors are doing everything they can for him. I just wanted you to know so you can prepare for the worst case scenario." He said, the pain of his words hitting him just as hard. He hated al funerals, and he wasn't planning on going to one again any time soon.

"Th..thank you. Uh, how… how are the other guys?" she asked.

"Some better than others, but still none of them in good shape. Have you seen Mrs. Hayes lately? I haven't been able to get ahold of her." he asked with a sigh.

"No, I haven't. Do Jason's kids know?" she asked.

"No. I didn't want to scare Emma. Especially not after everything they've already been through."

"I understand. I'll uh, I'll pick them up, they can stay with me until I find their grandmother. Gosh, how am I gonna tell them?!" Naima replied, then said the last to herself under her breath, but Eric heard her.

"Just tell them what you know. He's in critical condition, but he's putting up a fight." he said.

"Will do. If anything changes…"

"You'll be the first to know. Call the others, get together. You need each other. Stay strong." Blackburn said. She thanked him again, and he hung up. _Lord, please don't take him. Please bring him home to me._ She prayed as she ran her fingers over her wedding ring.

 **Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading this multi-chapter fic, hopefully it continues to draw you in! I just wanted to say that when it comes to things like medical procedures or how the handle situations like this is the military, I know very little. Anything I put in has been to further develop/help the story line, so hopefully if I'm wrong, you can still enjoy the story!**


	31. Chapter 31

**He'll come home**

 **It had been a few days since the families of Bravo Team had gotten the phone call from Commander Blackburn, and there hadn't been anything since. Their families were doing their best to stay optimistic, but it was becoming more and more difficult as the days drug on. But luckily, they were about to get the happy reunion they were all wishing for.**

Naima walked out into the living room to find Emma bouncing the baby on her knee, smiling at him, but the motherly instincts in her could see right through it. She was putting on a face, trying her best to stay positive for her brother and the younger kids. Naima could tell that with all of Jameelah's curiosity and Mikey's questions, she was minutes away from a breakdown. She could see it in her eyes.

"Alright, looks like it's time for someone to take a nap! He sure seems to like you Emma! Do you wanna help me put him down?" She asked, trying to give her a way out.

"Yea, sure." the teen said, and walked back to the room with her. She showed her how to rock him, and then helped her gently lay him down.

"Aunt Naima, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, anything." Naima answered, preparing herself for what she could only imagine was to come.

"How are you so strong?" she asked. Naima paused for a moment, taken aback by the question. She didn't think she was by any means.

"I don't know if I'd consider myself strong. I guess I just lean on my faith, and the people around me. Why do you ask?" Naima answered honestly, watching the tears well up in the teens eyes.

"Because ever since mom died, everyone has told me how strong I am, but…. I don't feel strong. And now d...dad…. I can't lose him!" Naima's heart broke when she heard Emma's voice crack. She opened her arms and pulled her close. _God, this poor girl_ she prayed _hasn't she been through enough?_ She stood calmly, wiping her own tears and rubbing circles on Emma's back as her body shook with the tremors of emotions that had been held inside for far to long. After a few minutes passed, Emma pulled back and collected herself, using the tissue handed to her.

"He'll come home. He loves you to deeply not to fight." Naima said, hoping the words were true. Emma nodded, then looked over to the crib.

"I hope I didn't wake him." she said. Naima followed her eyes to the little boy sleeping peacefully, and scanned his features, noting how much of them came from her husband.

"You didn't, he's a sound sleeper. Just like his dad."

 **Not far away, but not close enough…**

Ray felt his senses returning as the dim light of a hospital room pushed against his eyelids.

"...any minute now, and I'll check him over again, but you should be able to take him soon. I'm sure everyone's ready to get home." sounds and voices filled his ears, and he slowly opened his eyes, wanting to know who they belonged to. They didn't sound familiar. After looking around the room, he soon saw Commander Blackburn, who quickly came to his bedside when he saw him looking at him.

"Welcome back."

"Hospital?" Ray asked groggily, wishing the fog would clear faster.

"In Canada. There was an accident. How much do you remember?" Eric asked.

"The mission, the RPG, the crash, the chest tube. How...how is everyone else?" Ray asked slowly, taking in the wires and tubes attached to his body, and how much his chest ached.

"Alive, but none got off unscathed. You scared us man. We…we almost lost you." Eric said, shaking his head.

"Nothing short of a miracle." Dr. Adams said. Ray fell silent at the sound of the Commander's voice. He sounded exhausted, physically and mentally. He blinked a few times, trying to stop the images that were replaying in his mind, now that it was awake. Images of the barrel of the missile launcher, the missile flying towards them. His men bracing themselves as the car was launched into the air. Seeing blood everywhere, and wondering what was his own, and what was from his brothers behind him. Jason, who hadn't regained consciousness even once, as far as he could remember. And then, just before he blacked out for the last time, his beautiful, smiling family.

"Jase...Jason? Is he…?" Ray asked slowly, desperately trying to read Eric's facial expression. He had seen the blood running from the corner of his mouth. _Please God. He has kids_ he thought.

"He's alive. Gave the doctors a run for their money. Lost so much blood his heart nearly stopped once during surgery, and then fully one time when we finally got him back on the plane." Blackburn replied, his mind replaying the scene where one small thing went wrong, and then everything else decided to follow suit…

 _Eric was just finishing up the report when he glanced down into the holding area, doing another check of his men in the beds below. Five of the seven were back, two still in the ICU._

" _Any update on Trent?" Mandy asked as she sat down next to Eric and handed him a coffee._

" _Adams said they got the infection under control, but his fever hasn't come down yet."_

" _All this from a little cut and some sand? Remind me to never underestimate the human body ever again." Ellis replied with a sigh._

" _Yea. Especially not when they have the fight in them that these guys do. Doc said their taking Ray off the vent today."_

" _Thank god. I think things are finally starting to go our way again." she said. Seconds after she spoke, alarms screamed, piercing the silence of the aircraft._

" _That's...thats a heart monitor! Dammit!" Eric yelled as he sprang from his chair so fast he nearly sent it flying. He took the stairs three at a time, running towards the sound. He and Mandy quickly spotted where it was coming from when they saw Davis jump onto one of the gurneys._

" _Jason! What the…. What's going on?!" Mandy asked as they were quickly joined by other members of the crew, along with doctors from the hospital who were here for the daily round of check ups._

" _He must've had a dream or something or moved somehow! He ripped some of his stitches and started losing blood again. His blood pressure plummeted and he flatlined!" one of the doctors answered. She covered her mouth and watched as Lisa counted her compressions, begging him to come back. Eric instinctively looked around the plane and did a headcount, making sure the others were ok. Another loud curse word flew from his mouth when he heard a low groan coming from a bed next to him. Brock was clenched tightly into a ball, holding the sides of his head. Eric looked back to where they were placing the defibrillator pads on Jason's chest, and then made eye contact with Davis._

" _Go! We got him!" she answered. Eric nodded, and rushed to Brock's side._

" _Tell me what's going on, what hurts?" He asked, putting a gentle hand on his arm._

" _Th...the noise! It...h….hurts! Is...is he ok?" Brock stammered._

" _We'll know here is just a minute. Just try to cover your ears ok?" he said, then checked the bandages. As soon as he could, he turned back around. Just as quickly as everything had started, it stopped._

" _He's back. We'll have to keep a close eye on him for a while though." The doctor said. Eric thanked him, then went to check Jason himself._

" _Don't do that again man. That's an order." he said, putting a hand on Jason's. After staring at the monitors for as long as it took him to get into his head that they would be ok, he walked back up and slumped into a chair._

"...Eric?" Blackburn blinked a few times, then sighed.

"Sorry, what do you need?" he asked.

"To call my wife. The way everything sounds, she's probably…. Can I talk to her?" Ray asked.

"Of course. I'm sure it would help. First, let's get you checked out so we can get the plane off the ground and head home." Ray nodded. Eric called the doctor in, and let the exam begin.

 **Later…**

Emma scrolled through her instagram feed, even though she wasn't really looking at any of the pictures. Her mind wasn't there. It hadn't been for the last few days. She jumped slightly at the sound of the phone ringing in her hand. When the name came across the screen, she gasped with disbelief.

"Dad?!"

"Hey baby." the sound of her voice and the tears welling up in her eyes drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"D...Oh my go...Dad!"

"I'm on my way home sweetheart. Everything's gonna be ok." Jason said, pulling the phone away from his ear for a minute, giving him time to collect himself. Hearing his kids cry was never easy, but especially not when he had thought he would never hear it again.

"What...what happened? Are you ok? I mean, I know what happened b...but they said..they said you might not make it!" Emma sturred, trying to think of all the things she wanted to say.

"I know. I'm sorry to have scared you like that. How's Mikey?" Jason asked.

"He's good. He won his hockey game today! Scored three goals!" A smile stretched across Jason's face at the words. He listened as she talked a while longer then handed off the phone. As he listened to Mikey proudly recount his game, he looked around the aircraft at his men, watching as they also made calls, all except one. The youngest member sat idly in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Jason sighed, making a note to check on the kid later.

 **Hours later, stateside…**

Clay walked slowly into his apartment and set his bags down, letting his eyes adjust to the bright lights coming in the windows. All he wanted was a shower and a beer. He was halfway there when he heard a knock on the door. He let out a deep sigh, and stared at the door, not wanting to walk all the way back over to see who it was.

"It's unlocked." he yelled as he continued to pull the bloody clothes from his bag. He heard it open, but didn't bother to look up. His head hurt to much.

"Hey son. How're ya feeling?" Clay closed his eyes in annoyance _you've got to be kidding me_ he thought.

"What're you doing here Ash?" he asked, making his way back into the kitchen.

"The base called, said you were in an accident."

"Not sure why they did that. Your not my emergency contact." Clay answered dryly.

"Yea, well I guess Stella gave them my number after you forgot to take her off the form. So what happened? You look like shit, bet you feel it too!" Ash said, trying to make small talk.

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Clay…"

"You know what? Fine. An RPG hit our exfil van, I had already taken my helmet off so it didn't feel to great when I went head first out the door. Another concussion, three broken ribs, a busted cheekbone. There you go, you can leave now." Clay snapped as he grabbed a water off the counter.

"Clay, your my kid! I know how missions are, I was just concerned about you!"

"Concerned about me?! Huh! Yea, like you were concerned when I broke my arm playing tee ball? Like you were concerned when I sliced my hand open teaching myself how to gut a deer? Like you were concerned when I wrecked my first truck in high school? Like you were concerned when I got _shot_ a few months ago?! Your not concerned about me, you just want to use this as another story for your book!" Clay yelled, the anger making his head spin and his side throb. He dropped a hand to his side in an effort to ease the aching as he leaned against the counter. He definitely was too tired for this.

"So you think that's what this is about?"

"No, Ash, I know that's what this is about, ok? I've seen the news stories about you, seen you on the phone with your publisher not two minutes after we talked. After I went out for drinks and trusted you again. Not this time. I won't be your source." Clay scoffed, popping open a prescription bottle from the base.

"Wow. I'm sorry I did you so wrong that…"

"Save it. My head is killing me, and I still have blood on me that's not even mine. I'm not in the mood for this right now." Clay said with a tired sigh.

"Not yours? Was this that incident I saw on the news the other day? The one with that guy selling secrets?"

"Unbelievable. Get out of my apartment before I call security." Clay said, shaking with rage. He leaned down a snatched his phone off the table, grabbing his side with a grimace when his ribs jostled and the stitches pulled on his skin. A combination of the pain and exhaustion made his knees buckle, and he collapsed into the cushions of the couch.

"Hey, you al…"

"Out." He answered, sucking in a breath. He watched as the door finally closed behind his dad, and laid his head back with a long, deep sigh, letting the exhaustion take over.

 **On the happier side of town…**

"No peeking!" Savannah said for what had to be the millionth time since they had finally left base, and she had pulled herself together after doting over him in the base hospital. When they got to the truck she told him she had a surprise for him, and he didn't know what to expect.

"Where are we going? This doesn't sound or feel like the way home." Trent asked.

"Ok one, it's a surprise, and two, you can tell we aren't going home without seeing it?" she asked with surprise.

"Of course. You forget how many times I've done that drive. Plus, sere training. You gotta know where you're going incase you escape." he answered.

"I guess that makes sense. Well, we're here!" she said, and took the blindfold off. Trent looked at the beautiful house in front of him, and the sign in the yard.

"We got it?!"

"Yep! It's all ours! When I got that call… I decided you would need a nicer place to recuperate in, and what's more soothing than the sound of the ocean!" she said, beaming.

"This is amazing! When do we move in?" he asked happily.

"Already have. I needed something to keep me busy while I worried about you…" she trailed off.

"Babe, I'm here now, ok? I'll always come back to you." He said, and leaned in for a kiss while wiping away a tear.

"I love you, you know that?" she said.

"I love you too. Now let's go see our new house!" Trent said, and laughed, rolling his eyes as he went to get out of the car, but was stopped with one look from her. He sighed, and waited while opened his door and helped him out, and then walked arm in arm to their new house.

 **/**

"Raymond Perry, don't you ever do that to me again!" Naima said, walking into the hospital room at the base.

"Hey babe."

"Hi. How are you feeling? Any pain?" she asked, after giving him a kiss.

"A little, but better now that you're here." He answered, sitting up slowly in the bed. He watched as her eyes checked him over, as if to make sure he really was there in front of her, and alive. He reached out and took her hand, pulling her over.

"I'm here now." he said, looking up at her. When there was no reply, he followed her eyes down to his chest, where the remnants of dried blood and antiseptic still stained his skin.

"He said you might not make it. That I should prepare for the worst. You weren't breathing on your own. I've seen people on ventilators before, even put some people on them, but the image of you on one…" she said, taking a deep breath and wiping tears off her face.

"I'm sorry you had go through that. I really am. I love you." Ray said, squeezing her hand.

"I know. It's just a part of the job. Now let's go home so I can take care of you and not let you out of my sight for at least the next month. The kids can't wait to see you." Naima said with a smile, pulling herself together.

"Sounds good." Ray said, slowly standing up. He braced himself on her shoulder when the deep breathing it took to move made his chest burn with pain. He couldn't help but groan and reach for his chest, trying to stifle it when he saw the worry in her eyes.

"I'm ok, just hand me the crutch. Babe, I'm ok, I promise." He said, after catching his breath.

"Your definitely not, but I have you back now, so I'll allow it." She said lovingly. They slowly made their way out of the base, and happily towards home.

 **/**

Sonny walked up the stairs and into his apartment, listening to the sound of boots hitting the stairs behind him. She had insisted on following him home and making sure he was settled in. She was also forcing him to keep this stupid sling on, but that thing was coming off the minute he got into his house whether she liked it or not. He turned the key and opened the door, immediately launching his bag across the room and grabbing a beer out of his fridge. His face scrunched at the taste.

"Little outdated. Oh well." He muttered, and took another sip. After the past few weeks, as long as it dulled the pain, it was fine.

"Your sure your ok? Do you need anything?" Davis asked, setting the rest of his bags down.

"Nah, just a shower and a really strong IPA. And to know the rest of the guys are gonna be ok." He said, the last part a little quieter.

"Everyone's gonna be fine Sonny. We're all home, back with our families. It's time for you to just heal up. Do you need anything?" She replied, trying to comfort him. Trying to do anything to figure out what this thing was between them.

"Ya already asked that. I'm fine." He said, tugging at the strap of the sling with an annoyed grunt. He finally managed to slide it over his head, despite the looks he was getting.

"Look, Sonny, I don't know what this thing is between us, but right now I don't care. You were hurt, and I just want to make sure your taken care of." Davis said with an exasperated sigh. He sat down on the couch, letting her words settle in the air for a minute or two.

"Thank you." he replied. She nodded her response, and set the rest of his bags in his bedroom, then pulled a fresh beer out of her bag and handed it to him.

 **/**

Brock looked down at Cerberus as they walked to his truck, and laughed to himself.

"We're a pretty sore sight, aren't we boy? Luckily, I don't think she'll mind!" He said, looking at the bandage around Cerb's leg covering the stitches that closed up one of the many cuts he had gotten crawling out of the vehicle. The dog wagged his tail in response, trotting along as if nothing was bothering him. He could feel the dogs constant eye on him as they walked through the parking lot, studying his masters every move. He knelt down and scratched behind his ears.

"I really don't deserve you buddy. You saved my life out there." Brock said. Cerberus licked his face as a reply, and Brock laughed before standing up and continuing the trek. His eyebrows scrunched in confusion when the sound of his truck unlocking after pressing the button was quickly followed by the sound of it locking again. Then a voice soon filled his ears.

"Did you really think I was gonna let you drive home like that?" Jessie asked with a smirk.

"No, and I was kinda hoping I was right. Oof! Hey!" He replied, the grunted slightly as she decided she couldn't wait any longer, and threw herself into his arms. He smiled, then squeezed her tight, breathing in her scent. He almost forgot how much he missed her. Almost.

 **/**

Eric walked slowly into his office, and tuned on the light. After flopping down into his desk chair, he closed his eyes for the first time in probably a week. He could feel the after-action reports staring at him from his desk, but decided to ignore them for now. The universe decided to help him out, as he heard the sound of heels coming towards him.

"Everyone's home safe. Time for you to go to. The papers can wait." Mandy said, standing in his doorway.

"Thank god for that." he said in reply to each sentence in its own respect. He nodded, and walked out to his truck after reluctantly pulling himself out of the chair.

 _Everyone's home safe._


	32. Chapter 32

**No Pressure**

 **The members of Bravo Team are no strangers to terrorist organizations. In fact, they're part of the reason they have a job at all. On this mission, they go toe to toe with an infamous drug lord and bomb maker that the agency has been chasing for years. Things get a lot more complicated when one of their own goes missing, and doesn't get much better when they find him. The situation is volatile, and to make matters worse, their running out of time.**

 **/**

 **10:58**

"Bravo one, I need a status report." Blackburn said, nervously watching the video feed in front of them, along with the timer that seemed to be moving faster than it should be. They were running out of time.

"Seven is still working." Jason answered, pacing nervously behind them. The team was standing in a cold, dark room, tension hanging thick in the air.

"Alright Kairos, come on man, how close are we?" Jason asked.

"Jase I swear if you ask that one more time." Ray said.

"You heard the comms Ray, they need a report. Kairos?" Jason asked again.

"Whoever made this was no beginner, ok. I move to fast, bump something, cut the wrong wire…"

"Yea yea, I got it. Trent, how is he?" Jason replied, then moved his questions onto the next person.

"I'm fine Jase."

"Wasn't asking you."

"Well, other than the dehydration and this gash, he's looking ok. Probably just a few stitches. Definitely got his bell rung though." Trent answered, gently tapping a bandage onto Ray's temple. Jason nodded and shot his friend a look when he felt an "I told you so" coming.

"Havoc this is one. Seven is still working on the pressure plate. Looks pretty sophisticated." Jason said, answering Blackburn.

"Not a surprise with who made it. How's two doing physically?" Davis said.

"I'm fine. Room's still spinning a little, but I'm told that's what happens when a pissed off drug lord finds your snipers nest in the mountains, and decides to sucker punch you with the back of an AR15." Ray said, trying to lighten the mood. Maybe if he didn't show how worried he was, the rest of the team would calm down. Especially the team leader.

"Good to hear two. Hang in there." Eric said. Jason shook his head, replaying the night before. They had just finished an annoyingly long week of deployment, and their final task to finish of the 48 hours of madness was to take down the most infamous drug lord in the region, along with his organization. No pressure though. _If only I had searched the area better_ Jason thought, the scanned the town around them for the tenth time in the last few minutes, waiting impatiently for three

 **8:38**

The images of that night still ran around in Clay's mind. He was across from Ray in the other lookout post. He should've been watching him. He could've warned him. He could've warned the team. He could've stop…

"Hey Spencer." Clay quickly turned to face the middle of the room again.

"Yea man, what's up? Do you need something?" Clay asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I need you to stop blaming yourself. No way you could've seen them. This isn't anyone's fault." Ray said softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Clay nodded, but turned away again. He wasn't quite sure he was ready to accept that this truly wasn't his fault.

"You too Jase. We all scanned the area, even the ISR missed them. They were underground, there was no way you could've seen them." Ray said.

"If nothing else, this is the shortest amount of time it's taken the team to find one of us when we went missing." Ray said. He looked around the room, studying their faces. As much as they hated it, he could read each of them like a book. That meant that he knew that his sentiment had done absolutely nothing to ease them. He knew they all felt responsible in their own way. They were selfish, they had to have it be their fault when things went wrong. It's just part of a soldier's nature. Even so, right now he really wished that Jason would stop blaming himself, because the man's pacing was driving him insane.

"Hey Jase? You do that any longer and you'll wear a hole in the floor." Ray said with a small smirk. Jason stopped, and rolled his eyes at his friend. Everyone had always told him he was a pacer. He would try not to do it, but it never worked.

 **6:21**

"Alright Kairos, no pressure or anything, but we're _really_ running out of time here man. Either you disarm this thing or we grab him and go." Jason said, even though he knew that wasn't possible.

"If he moves off this plate the whole town goes up in smoke. Option two isn't gonna work. I get it, no pressure though." Summer answered with a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. This was gonna work. He trained for this. This man had two kids, young ones at that, and the team was counting on him. Not to mention that if anything happened to Ray and they didn't all die, Sonny would probably kill him himself.

"Bravo seven this is Havoc, any progress?" Blackburn asked, a hint of desperation creeping into the edge of his typically calm and steady voice.

"Uh, yea. I gotta cut three more wires and pull the blast cap and he's free." Kairos said, knowing he was making it sound a lot easier than it really was.

"Copy. Clock hasn't slowed at all." Eric said.

"Havoc, this is one." Jason chimed in when his thoughts suddenly switched topics.

"Go ahead one."

"Have we found Dervishi yet?" he asked.

"No. We have drone canning the area." Blackburn replied.

"Copy." Jason had barely finished his response when Davis cut in, backing the drone up and stopping it where Ellis had pointed at one of the buildings.

"Bravo one be advised, we're looking at what appears to be a sniper on the roof northwest of your position." Blackburn said. Jason pressed the comms to answer, but was stopped suddenly when a pop filled the air, soon followed by a grunt of pain from the middle of the room. Jason spun around as all hell broke loose. He watched as Ray started to slump forward, and everyone brought their guns up, searching for where the shot came from.

"Ray! Don't let him move!" Kairos yelled, panic filling him as the clock started counting faster as soon as Ray had shifted his weight.

 **4:15**

Jason only allowed himself to panic for a minute before snapping back to his role of team leader.

"Clay! Find that sniper! Sonny, Brock, go check the perimeter. Kairos, how much time we got?" Jason yelled, and his men dispersed, swiftly following orders. Clay found the nearest window facing the direction Havoc had just mentioned, his instincts kicking in.

"Trent, how is he? Where'd it get him?" Jason asked, from across the room, not sure if he could leave his watch post just yet, even though every protective instinct was telling him to go check on his man.

"Looks like it went clean through his arm. It'll hurt for a while because it was a large caliber, but other than a few stitches, he should be fine." Trent answered, pulling the gauze away from the wound and throwing them on the floor. He quickly replaced them, and wrapped it as tightly as he could, earning another grunt of pain.

"Unless that thing goes off. Kairos, come on man!" Jason pleaded.

"Almost there, I swear!" Kairos replied, trying to stay calm, but Ray could hear the slight waver in his voice.

"Deep breath man. I believe in you." Ray said, trying to focus on something other than how much his arm was throbbing.

 **2:09**

"Clay, do you have eye of the shooter?" Jason asked.

"I can see him but I don't have a shot just yet."

"Well get one before he decides to put one through the bomb! The only reason he didn't before was because the curtain was in the way!" Jason replied.

"One this is Havoc, how copy?" Blackburns voice came through the comms.

"Good copy Havoc, go for one." Jason answered.

"Your exfil is waiting, how soon till you can move out?" Eric asked, praying for a different answer than the one he got.

"That's a question for seven. How long we got seven?" Jason asked, changing channels of the radio.

"One more wire and then the blast cap. That's the hardest part. It can blow as soon as it out of the c4. I just…. Almost… there." kairos repiled, grinding his teeth with the pressure washing over him.

"Bravo one, this is three. Perimeter check is clear. We can move any time now!" Sonny said.

"Bravo one, this is five. Perimeter is clear of explosives." Brock added.

"Copy. Come back in, we might need help transporting two." Jason said.

"On our way."

 **0:40**

Kairos paused and took a deep breath to force his hand to stop shaking as he raised the cutters to the wire.

 **0:30**

 _Clip…_

"Wire's out, just need the cap now!" Kairos said, reaching towards the piece he had been dreading the most.

 **0:20**

He gently dug his fingers into the hole he had made with the pliers surrounding the blast cap.

 **0:10**

He felt the cold metal against his skin, as he had taken his glove off, not wanting to risk the fabric getting caught on anything.

 **0:7**

He tightened his grip and pulled, as fast as he could without jostling anything.

 **0:4**

He stared down at the metal object that was _finally_ separate from the explosives. He threw it into the canister he had had waiting, and listened to it blow.

 **0:3**

Everyone cringed slightly at the noise, only to quickly realize that nothing had happened. No smoke, no debris, no bodies. He had done it. Ray was safe.

The air returned to the room as they seemingly all let out a gasp of relief. Kairos closed his eyes and laid his head on the cold ground, feeling the panic leave his body.

"Havoc, this is one. Seven did it, the bomb is disabled." cheers erupted in Havoc base at the sentence. The joy was only momentary, and they were quickly snapped back to the fact that the mission wasn't quite over yet when Spenser came over the radio.

"One this is six. I've got a sh…" the sentence was cut by the sound of two simultaneous bangs. Fear gripped Bravo team once again. Why hadn't Clay finished the sentence. Why was the shot so loud? Was the target dead? Was Six hurt?

"Bravo six, report."

Static

"Six, this is one, do you copy?" Jason tried again.

"...y...yea. Copy one. T...target neutralized." Clay responded. The sigh that should've sounded from the team didn't. Something wasn't right, and everyone could tell.

"Six, are you hit?" Trent asked.

"Bullet deflected off my helmet. Just stunned me, that's all. Headed back your way." Clay said, brushing it off as he got his bearings.

"Copy. We'll meet you halfway, exfil is waiting. Let's go home boys." Jason said, then turned off his comms.

"As soon as we get to exfil I want Spenser in the middle, and I want him checked out. A glance and go of the helmet can still do damage, whether he thinks so or not." Jason said. Trent nodded, and the two helped Ray to his feet. Once he was steady, they moved through the building towards the exfil vans, glad it was still standing, and so were they.

 **A party for one…**

Ray took another sip of his beer, and readjusted his sling for what had to be the thousandth time. He listened happily to the lighthearted conversation going on in the hammocks around him and across the cargo hold of the c130, a welcome change from a few hours ago. They were all at least three beers in, toasting to a sideways mission saved. As they had dispersed to get some sleep before landing, Ray had watched Clay make a not so subtle exit, clearly wanting to be away. Ray had told them all how proud and thankful he was of them, and how he didn't blame a single one of them for what had happened, but he had seen the look in the kid's eyes. Something was off. And he was going to find out what if he had to pry it out of him.

"How's the wrist?" Ray asked, walking over to the secluded Clay had found.

"This? Oh, it's fine, just a little sore." Clay replied, looking down at the ice pack on the wrist he had landed on when the bullet took away his balance. He set his bottle down, letting the silence hang in the air. He still wasn't sure what to say to Ray yet.

"Alright kid, out with it. What's eating at you?" Ray said, finally breaking in and plopping down next to the young soldier. He knew he had successfully gotten through the walls when he heard Clay let out a deep sigh.

"Am I any good at this? I mean seriously. I keep letting things get to my head, and it's getting us in worse trouble every time. First with Stella and Mexico, then with Sonny and now this stuff with my dad, and you get taken and almost blown up. Not to mention how many civilian casualties there would've been…" Clay trailed off.

"I hate to break it to you kid, but that's normal. This job, the stuff we see, the stuff we have to do? It messes with your mind. And it sure doesn't help when you've got stuff going on at home. But you aren't alone man. Countless soldiers deal with this stuff, some worse. Clay, your one of the best I know. This stuff wasn't taught to you, it's just your nature. Sure, things throw you off sometimes, but as long as you fix it the best you can, you'll be fine. Jase told me you were the one that found the building, found me. That was your instinct. No one could've known what Dervishi's men were planning. It's over, everyone's safe, and I'm going home to my family. Stop dwelling on it." Ray said. Clay nodded, letting the words sink in. Ray somehow always knew what to say. It was a good thing they got him back, because Bravo would've fallen apart without him.

"Thanks man, really." Clay answered.

"Of course brother. Now get some sleep, you look like crap." Ray said with a smirk. Clay rolled his eyes and laughed, then settled back into his hammock.


	33. Chapter 33

**Hero**

 **For the men of Bravo team, their commitment to protect and serve doesn't end when they step back into U.S. soil. They were taught to detect and eliminate danger as quickly and quietly as possible, their training making them some of the most lethal opponents in a fight. Clay's instincts are tested when a normal day of errands turns into anything but normal.**

Clay took a deep breath of the warm Virgina air as it hit his face through the open window. The metal of his car felt cool against the arm that was resting on the door. Today was Bravo Team's day off. The only thing that needed his attention on the base was the organizing and minor weapons training the team had to do later that afternoon. That gave Clay about four hours of free time, which he planned to spend cleaning his car after he ran a few errands. He had already gotten the groceries that would last him for the next month or two, as food typically didn't go very fast with the unpredictable schedule he had. All that was left was to stop by the bank, and then head home.

He turned into the parking lot and found a space a good walk from the bank. He didn't mind, it was a beautiful day. The bell on the door rang as he opened it, and walked inside.

"Hello Petty Officer Spencer, what can we do for you today?" the teller asked. He smiled back at her, noticing that she always seemed to come to whatever window he walked towards when he came in. He had to admit, she was pretty. Average height, red hair and green eyes.

"Hi. Just a deposit today. I ran out of slips at home though." He said.

"No problem! Here you go!" She said, and handed him the paper. He thanked her, and walked over to a table in the corner to fill it out. As he stood there, he couldn't help but note his surroundings. The navy had trained him to do it subconsciously. It was a relatively slow day, not more than 12 people in the bank, not counting the two tellers and the security guard.

Suddenly, his attention snapped up from what he was writing when he heard the doors fly open and the metal detectors fly into a frenzy. Next came the gunshots. Now Clay was instantly in fight mode.

"Everybody on the ground NOW! Go empty the registers!" one of the men said. They were both in thick black ski masks, with every ounce of skin covered. Clay watched as one man did as he was told, and walked towards the tellers, gun raised while the other wasted no time in shooting the security guard. Clay began to formulate his plan of defense. That's when the leader saw him, and how he was the only patron in the bank who had refused to follow instructions.

"Hey! I said on the ground! Don't try to be a hero!" he yelled taking a step towards Clay when he realized that he hadn't flinched at all at his threat. The attention was drawn away when the other robber screamed for the teller to hurry up. Clay could see the pure, unbridled fear in her eyes, and the same in everyone else's, and it made his blood boil. He saw that the man's focus was was elsewhere, and decided to take advantage of it. He caught him off guards, disarming him before he could react. He threw the gun as far across the room as he could get it before he was caught in a fight with the man. The crowd screamed with fear as the second robber fired rounds into the air in panic when he heard the commotion. Clay knew that he needed to do something fast if he didn't want to get shot, so he landed a kick to the side of the knee, allowing him to get the perfect leverage for a choke hold. The second man saw his accomplices' eyes slipping closed, and pulled the trigger again. Luckily, the man hadn't been paying attention to how many bullets he had left in his weapon, and when nothing happened, he paused as he tried to figure out what to do next. The panic was obvious simply from the look in his eyes. He clearly wasn't the dominant one in the partnership. Clay dropped the man to the ground beside him, waiting for the man to make a move.

"Look man, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. You can still walk away. You didn't shoot the guard, you were just following orders." Clay said, trying to talk him down as he wiped his bloody knuckles on his pants. He saw the man thinking, seeming to size him up, then watched his eyes land on the tattoo on Clay's bicep. The Bravo Team logo.

"You Navy or somethin'?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

"Tier-one operator." Clay replied calmly, making sure his guard didn't drop an inch. His eyes flicked to one of the patrons off to the side who was hiding under a desk, and watched as he dialed three numbers on his phone. _Bad idea. Very bad idea! Come on!_ He thought as he sensed the robber listening to the phone ringing.

"Hey! Get off the phone! The cops come and I'll kill every one of you!" He screamed, charging at the young teen. Clay saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a knife, and his instincts took over. He sprinted across the room, wrapping one arm around the man's torso while grabbing his hand with the other, and tackling him to the ground. The two rolled over, both struggling to take control of the weapon. A scream of pain pierced the air when Clay felt the blade burrow deep into his waist. The man was hovering over him, now realizing he had the upper hand. He lifted the blade, ready to bring it down again when Clay forced his feet onto his opponents chest, and kicked as hard as he could, sending his flying. The knife dropped from his hand and he slammed into a table. Clay drug himself off the ground, his body in survival mode. _Hayes is gonna kill me for this_ he thought as he looked at the blood seeping through his shirt. He looked back up in time to see the man again barreling at him, lifting Clay off the ground and taking them both crashing over a table and onto the ground once more, the brutal fight continuing. He felt the knife tearing through his skin once again, but this time he could tell it was much more serious. This had to end now, or he wouldn't be able to end it. He grabbed the closest heavy object to him, and used all the power he had left to slam it against the robber's head. He breathed a sigh of relief as the man crumpled to the floor.

The adrenaline that was left in his veins helped as he shakily pulled himself to his feet. He stumbled across the bank, hearing the people around his stir. His vision shook violently, and he closed his eyes, bracing himself on a counter.

"Sir? Sir, you… you need to lay down. Your hurt!" a voice told him, making Clay open his eyes again. It was getting hard to breathe, and even harder to stay awake.

"Go...gotta….. Secu..re….th...them…" Clay stuttered, taking another step forward. Or so he thought he did. The next second, his world went black.

 **In the back of an ambulance…**

"Talk to me Josh, how's he doing?" a paramedic asked as she glanced in the mirror, looking into the cab.

"Heart and lungs are clear, I don't think they were hit, but he's in shock. There's three wounds and only two of me." Josh answered his partner, trying to stay calm while deciding which of the wounds was the most urgent, while also watching the monitors.

"We're five minutes out." Mel said, hoping to calm his nerves. She looked up again when she heard him curse.

"Uh Mel, I need you to radio the navy base. He's uh…. he's got dog tags on."Josh said.

"No wonder he put up such a fight. I'll call them now." she replied. Josh packed the third wound, then looked up at the battered face.

"Hold on soldier, we got you."

 **At the base…**

Jason dug through his shelf, raising an eyebrow, then standing up.

"Alright, which one of you drank my Daniels?" he asked, scanning the room.

"Don't look at me, you know whiskey is my thing." Sonny said, laughing at the boss' accusatory look.

"Seriously Jase? You know I wouldn't man." Ray replied with mock offense.

"I got my own stash man." Trent said. Before Brock could reply, the door to the team room opened, and Blackburn walked in. Jason was about to ask him, but stopped when he saw the look on the Commander's face. Something was wrong.

"What's up? We gettin spun up?" Sonny asked.

"No. It's Spencer." Eric said. Now everyone looked up from what they were doing, even Cerberus.

"What happened? Is he ok?" Brock asked.

"I just got a call from the hospital. He was caught in a bank robbery about an hour ago. He stopped the robbery single handedly, but was hurt pretty bad in the process." Blackburn explained, the air leaving the room.

"How bad?"

"Stabbed three times in his chest and stomach, along with other injuries consistent with a pretty nasty fight. He's in surgery at Jeffersons right now."

"Damn kids gotta be a hero even on his day off." Sonny muttered.

"He is. Police said the bank had about a dozen or so people in it, and the only other serious injury was the security guard, whos gonna be fine." The team let the news sink in for a few minutes before one of them spoke up.

"Can we go see him?"

"Absolutely. This can wait. Update me when you get there." Eric said.

"Will do." Jason replied as everyone grabbed their phones and car keys.

 **Hours later…**

Clay opened his eyes and groaned at the light that washed in. After blinking a few times, he looked around to see his teammates filling the chairs or leaning against the walls.

"Welcome back man. Guess we have to start calling you Chuck Norris. Taking down robbers on your day off. Impressive." Trent said with a small smile.

"Sorry, I won't be callin' him that. Norris wouldn't have damn near died!" Sonny quipped teasingly. Clay laughed, until the movement hurt his wounds.

"Sorry… sorry boss." he said slowly, once the pain subsided.

"What're you apologizing for? You saved lives today! You know we never apologize for that." Jason answered quickly.

"If anything, we should apologize. Taking on action without your team? That's rough man." Ray said.

"My bad. I'll be sure to call you guys next time." Clay said, earning a room full of laughs. Soon, conversations started, and they made him tell them everything. _They really do hate missing the action, don't they?_ Clay thought with a smile.


	34. Chapter 34

**Take the Shot**

 **Snipers are some of the most skilled men and women in the military. Their ability to shoot from extremely long distances is an asset that is used on nearly every special ops team. Clay has incredible talent, and the team would say so without a doubt. Most times he would agree, but when a delicate situation leaves the life of one of his brothers hanging in the balance, he suddenly feels his confidence wavering.**

Clay took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He felt his heart rate slowly, and all the noise surrounding him quieted. He clicked the safety off with his thumb, centered his scope, and then pop. After putting the safety back on, he zoomed in on his target, and a smile stretched across his face.

"You really gotta stop making bets you know you'll lose man. You won't have any money left here soon." Clay said, holding out his hand for the $20 Sonny was holding.

"While I admire the cocky attitude Spencer, we both know I's just makin' sure you ain't been lying to us!" Sonny said, and slapped the bill in his friends hand.

"Yea, whatever you say man." Clay replied with a laugh. The men picked up their rifles, and walked back towards the tack room on base. As soon as they got back in the building, they saw Commander walking towards them.

"Afternoon gentlemen. Meeting in the team room in 10." he said, then split off from them.

"So much for our weekend off." Sonny said and rolled his eyes.

"Like you have anything better to do!" Clay said with a smirk.

"And how would you know if I did or not?" Sonny scoffed with mock offense.

"Sorry dude, going to a strip club doesn't count." Clay laughed.

"And how do you know that's what my plan was?" Sonny asked as they slid their phones into the holders outside the door.

"Lucky guess." Clay said, and Sonny rolled his eyes as they took their places around the table.

"Meet Caden Johnson." Ellis said, pressing a button on the remote, pictures filling the screen.

"Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't sound like any of the names we usually get in here." Jason said, wrinkling his brow.

"Because it's not. He's from a remote part of Vermont, now living and running the current most dangerous mob in southern New Mexico." Blackburn said.

"So we're looking at a group of homegrown terrorists." Ray chimed in.

"Exactly. And to make things harder, they know the government is after them." Ellis said.

"Don't most of the people we go after?" Clay asked.

"Yes, but this time, they think they know when. They were planning a bombing for saturday, but since they found out the CIA had a operative inside, they killed her and moved it up to tomorrow to try to catch us off guard. The President wants this taken care of quickly and silently. No press." Ellis replied.

"Not that I ain't thrilled to be takin' some scum off the planet, but doesn't this seem like a job for the local police or S.W.A.T team?" Sonny asked what they were all thinking.

"It was, until Johnson hired this guy." Ellis said, putting another picture up on the screen. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"Is that Anton Pavlov?" Clay asked curiously. He had heard of the guy before-everyone had-but he'd never seen his face. The only reason he knew was the scar on the side of the man's face. Given to him by the US army years ago when a team of Rangers had found his hideout on a routine tour. Before the team could take him alive, he set off chemical bomb killing two soldiers and wounding the rest. Evidently though, Pavlov didn't make it out unscathed either.

"Yes it is. Intel says he's in country to sell chemicals to Johnson for his bomb. We're gonna stop this attack before he has time to finish the bombs, and if we're lucky, take Pavlov in the process." Blackburn said.

"Do we know he's gonna be there?" Brock asked.

"Our operative managed to get a cloning software onto Johnson's laptop before she was discovered, and he wasn't smart enough to scrub the hard drive after, so we have copies of their communications. Pavlov is set to arrive in about three hours." Ellis continued.

"That means that even though we won't beat him there, we need to touch down as soon after as possible. We need to make sure everything is secured before they have a chance to work with the chemicals, and it needs to be swift and silent. Wheels up in an hour." Blackburn said, closing out the meeting. The guys nooded, and got up to gather their things.

 **Later…**

"Havoc this is one, we're approaching the town." Jason said, doing another sweep of the area with the scope of his rifle, and then adjusting the night vision.

"Copy one, we've seen no movement from the target building. They have no idea your coming." Ellis replied.

"Just the way it should be." Trent said, his mind shifting to the dog tags that were sitting under his vest. The guys knew the Rangers who were hurt by this guy years ago, but not like Trent did.

"Havoc, we're about 10 mikes from the target building. Clay, your on overwatch. It'd be nice to have these guys alive, but that's not the mission. If anyone leaves that building that isn't us, lights out for them." Jason ordered. Clay nodded, and broke off from the group. Once he was settled in his perch on the top of the adjacent building, he took out the two men standing guard, and watched the rest of the team enter the building. The comms were open, so he could hear everything that was going on. He was waiting calmly for the message to Havoc of "target eliminated, bombs secured". Then suddenly, he heard a muffled grunt, what sounded like and what sounded like a struggle. The hair on the back of Clay's neck stood up when Trent's voice came through the comms, filled with panic and rage.

"Let him go Pavlov." Clay cursed, and zoomed his scope in on the second floor where he saw movement. The sight that he found instantly made his blood boil. The man had backed himself against the windows, and was holding a syringe to the side of Sonny's neck, which was why the soldier had stopped fighting the grip of the arm around his throat.

"Come any closer, this syringe goes into his throat." Pavlov said, his accent thick. Clay could hear Trent's breathing pick up, as he tried to figure out what to do.

"Bravo one this is Bravo four, we've got a problem." Trent said, pulling the prongs of a taser out of his shoulder.

"Four, do you copy? What was that?" Jason asked. He had heard the same noises, and they didn't sound like good ones, and the words that followed were even worse.

"Dammit! Pavlov got a jump on us. Got me with a taser, and now he's got three." Trent answered.

"Four, do you have a shot?" Jason asked.

"Negative one. He's backed into a corner, and his head is directly behind three's." Trent replied with anger and a hint of panic.

"Six, what about you?"

"Negative one, his head is behind a support beam. The only one I can see would kill him, but it'd also go through three's shoulder." Clay said, and scanned the area once more, looking for any way to make the shot, anything to get a ricochet off of, anything at all, but he once again came up empty.

"Sounds like your in a bit of a bind. Let Johnson go, and your man lives." Pavlov said with a sinister grin on his face.

"Not a chance. You die today, for all the lives you've taken, especially ranger team eight!" Trent yelled angrily.

"T….take the sh….shot Cl….ay." Sonny stuttered, feeling it getting harder to breath. The prick of the needle pressed farther into his skin.

"No way man! I'd have to shoot you too! There's gotta be another way!" Clay answered quickly.

"Bravo one this is four, is the target secure?" Trent asked, trying to stay calm in order to keep the kid at ease. The way it was looking, Clay was their only option, and he needed to be as calm as possible.

"Negative four. Havoc, how long till our backup gets here?" Jason asked as he Ray, and Brock crept through the halls in search of Johnson. Eric gave Mandy an exasperated look, with a hint of anger, knowing the response his answer would bring.

"There is no backup Bravo one." Commander said.

"I'm sorry, repeat that Havoc?" Jason said, nearly stopping dead in his tracks. Brock and Ray gave him the same questioning look.

"I said, there is no backup. The general didn't give the other teams in the area enough heads up. They wouldn't be here in time. The local police want nothing to do with this guy, which is why he's been able to stay hidden out here for so long." Commander replied.

"Are any of them aware that a man who has killed countless service men is holding one of my men hostage?!" Jason bit his lip to keep himself from screaming his response.

"I know the situation sucks, but we're gonna have to work with it. Bravo six, do you have a shot?" Blackburn asked with a baited sigh.

"Negative. Bravo four, any way to talk him down?" Clay asked, getting desperate. Trent narrowed his eyes from the man across the room from him, with whom he only broke eye contact with to check on his brother.

"Negative. You've got the only solution Six." Trent said, shaking his head at the words. Clay pounded his fist into the floor in anger. There had to be another way! His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an explosion and the gunshots, soon followed by an answer.

"Havoc, this is one. We're engaged with the target, taking heavy fire!" Jason's voice cut through the noise.

"I told you not to find him. Now your friend here has two minutes until his heart stops, and three after that to save his life. Tell your men to stand down, or watch him die." Pavlov said. Sonny grunted in pain as he felt the chemicals rush into his veins. Silence dropped over Havoc base as the sound of Eric's cursword echoed off the walls.

"Cl…...Clay…...t….take...the…..sh….sh….shot…." Sonny stammered feeling his heart slowing, the pain burning in his chest as his failing vision muddied the world around him.

"Stay with me Quinn! Six, do you have a shot?!" Trent yelled, trying to will Sonny to keep his eyes open.

"Negative, not one that doesn't take a chunk out of three's arm!" Clay answered, his heart racing.

"All Bravo signs be advised, Johnson just called for backup. If your gonna do something, you need to do it now! Exfil is waiting!" Ellis said.

"Six, we're held up, and three doesn't have much longer! Take the shot!" Jason screamed.

"Four, if you can get him to move, I…"

"Six, this is the only way! I'm ordering you to take the shot!" Blackburn said, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Clay closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened only his right, and centered it with the crosshairs of his scope. He clicked off the safety, but hesitated for a second. _That's a direct order. Dammit._ He thought, then checked the wind again. He pulled the trigger, moved the barrel up a few inches, and pulled it again. Two nearly simultaneous shots, the second through the brainstem simply to ensure that he was dead

"Target eliminated." Trent said, watching the two bodies drop.

"Second target eliminated." Jason said, minutes after.

"Bombs are secured." Kairos chimed in.

"Spencer, get over here, we need the backup!" Jason ordered. Little did he know, the kid was already up and moving, the overwhelming need to know the status of his brother propelling him.

Trent barley heard the words as he crossed the room in seconds, and dropped to his knees at Sonny's side. He pressed two fingers against the side of his neck, even though the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach already told him what he would find. He grabbed the syringe off the floor to see what was in it, and then towards the bottle on the table a few feet away. A light clicked on in his mind, and he knew exactly what needed to be done. His hand flew to his side pocket, and he pulled out a syringe of adrenaline, ripping the cap off with his teeth, and jamming it into Sonny's chest, directly beneath his collarbone. He sat back on his knees with a sigh when he watched Sonny's eyes fly open and heard him gasp for air.

"Take it easy man, Clay did it, he made the shot." Trent said, pressing a cloth tightly to the bullet hole in his shoulder. The pained grunt and a few more deep breaths were finally followed by a full sentence.

"I knew he could."

 **Later…**

The room was silent other than the occasional sigh or grunt as the men shifted positions in the stiff chairs. They had only been here for a few minutes, but it already felt like an eternity. They all looked up eagerly as Trent walked towards them. The doctor and nurses had tried unsuccessfully to allow them to examine him, until eric had joined the team and forced him. He finally went under the condition that he'd be able to keep an eye on Sonny, which had been granted.

"He's gonna fine. Doc said the adrenaline did it's job, and other than some fatigue, there shouldn't be any ill effects. The gunshot wound was clean and perfectly placed, all he'll have to remember it by in a few weeks is a tiny scar." Trent said, looking at Clay. The kid hadn't said a single word to any of them since he met them in the building after another gunfight on his way to join them for exfil. The rest of the team nodded, then looked to where Clay was still sitting, staring off into space.

"You guys go get some rest. I'll take care of him." Trent said, and the rest of them nodded and headed off. Trent walked over and put himself in Clay's line of vision.

"I have someone who wants to meet you." Trent said. Clay reluctantly stood up and followed him. They walked out into the open area of the base hospital, and Trent led him to a man sitting quietly in a chair, looking out the window. He stood up and smiled when he saw Trent.

"Matt, this is Petty Officer Spencer." Trent said.

"I heard the news and had to come thank you in person." Matt said, holding out his hand. Clay tried not to stare, but couldn't look away when his eyes caught the man's arm. It was a sleek black color, a prosthetic.

"The man you killed today did that to me. Killed two of my closest friends on this earth, left the other two wheelchair bound, and the other with ptsd so bad that he's on more medications in a day than three people take in a lifetime. I told him the news today, and that was the first time he's looked like himself in four years. I don't have enough words to say how grateful I am for you and your team. We've been waiting for this since the day it happened. Thank you." The soldier said. The two made eye contact, and then Clay accepted the gesture, only slightly surprised when he was pulled into an embrace.

"How's your man doing?" Matt asked, breaking the silence a few moments later.

"Doc said he'll be just fine." Trent replied, seeing that Clay was still to taken by the encounter.

"Thank him for me. If you guys are ever in Ohio, drinks are on me." Matt said.

"I might just have to take you up on that offer." Clay said finally.

"Good seeing you Trent, keep in touch." Matt nodded.

"Of course." Trent replied. The two waited until the man left, and Clay turned to Trent.

"How….?"

"Him and I, and one of the guys that was killed grew up together. We split when I chose BUDS over Ranger school, but we always kept in touch, even after the accident. I wanted to make sure you knew that what you did brought some people some closure." Trent said.

"Thanks…." Clay said slowly after another long pause.

"Let's go see our man." Trent said after nodding. The two soon walked back through the twisting hallways of the hospital.

 **Later…**

Sonny took a deep breath, and opened his eyes, slowly scanning the blurry room. He heard movement, and after blinking, Brock's face came into view.

"Hey man, welcome back." he said.

"How long...?" Sonny asked, running a hand over his face.

"Three days. They kept you sedated to make sure there wasn't any damage. Jason and Ray had stuff with their kids, which left me and Trent with all the work, but I snuck out a little bit ago." Brock said.

"Clay?" Sonny questioned.

"Hasn't left your side since they allowed visitors. Doctor had to threaten to put an IV in him to get him to eat. He hasn't been the same since he... uh, you know." Brock said, glancing across the room at the sleeping figure in the chair. Sonny let out a sigh. The had had a feeling that the kid would take this way to hard.

"Wake him up. I'll talk to him." Brock nodded, and said he'd let the team know he was awake, then left quietly after giving the kid a gentle shake.

Clay sat up and looked around the room, getting his bearings. When his mind caught up, he saw that Sonny was looking back at him.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Sonny said, earning a hint of a smile.

"None of this is your fault kid. I knew you could make the shot. I trusted you with my life, and it looks to me like it paid off." Sonny said.

"I still shot you in the shoulder. Dammit man, I can't get that picture out of my mind! You laying there, bleeding from one of my bullets..." Clay said, trailing off.

"There was no other way! You saved my life, simple as that. Take the win man! Besides, you ain't gettin' rid of me that easy!" Sonny said with a laugh. Clay rolled his eyes, and smiled for the first time in days. He was right. Take the win.

 **Hey guys! I know some of the details of the mission or medical stuff might not be accurate, but as a disclaimer, I don't know much of anything about that stuff! Hopefully you enjoyed it anyway!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Begin Again**

 **It's been a rough few months for Bravo team. They're finally back from deployment, and so far have gotten some time to rest with no new missions. Each man has been taking stock of their lives, and trying to adjust to the new normal. For the leader of the group, that has proven to be a lot more difficult than he expected. He's been avoiding moving into his new apartment for a few days, but he's getting tired of sleeping in a hotel. He tries to mask his emotions, but his brothers know it's been hard on him, and once again show up exactly when he needs it the most.**

Emma looked down in surprise when her phone started ringing, her face changing to match the mixture of confused emotions running through her mind when she saw the name on her screen.

"Is everything ok?" Kaylee asked, looking at the worried expression on her roommates face.

"Uh, I'm not sure… I..I hope so." She replied before answering the phone.

"Hey Uncle Ray, is everything alright?" she asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice.

"Hey Emma. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, your dad's fine. I was just wondering if you know the address to your new apartment? Your dad let it slip when he was moving in the other day, and the guys and I figured we should go help." Ray said. Emma sighed as quietly as she could, feeling herself relax.

"Uh, yea! I'll text it to you."

"Alright thanks! So how's college going so far? Anybody giving you problems? No boys, right?" Ray asked. Emma laughed when she heard Naima in the background scolding him for the last question, telling him that Emma is "a smart young woman who can handle herself". Her smile grew wider as she pictured the looks on their faces. Naima had stepped in as a surrogate mom for her and Mikey in a huge way the last couple months, even taking her shopping for things for her dorm. She would be eternally grateful for how much Mrs. Perry loved and treated them like they were her own kids.

"College is going great. I really love it here! And don't worry, we had to give a presentation about our families during orientation, so now the entire campus knows that dad is a SEAL, and that I pretty much have an entire protection detail at my disposal." Emma said with a smile.

"That's exactly right! Naima wants to talk to you, so I'm gonna hand her the phone so she stops lecturing me on the independent woman that you are! Be safe." Ray said, laughing at the look he got from his wife in return for the comment.

"Ok! Hey, before you go, I just wanted to say thank you. You and Naima have gotten Dad, Mikey, and I through these last couple months. It makes being away at college a lot easier knowing that Dad always has you looking out for him, especially when you guys are home." She said.

"Of course. Naima and I are always just a phone call away." Ray said. They said goodbye, and then he handed the phone over to his wife.

 **A few days later…**

Jason looked down at the GPS to check how far he was from his new apartment. Things had been quiet the past few days. With the kids away, and no new missions, Jason was left to face the fact that he was moving what seemed like the last 23 years of his life in to a completely new place. He had decided after the team had all gotten home safely from their last deployment that instead of focusing on the sad parts of how drastically his life had changed in the last few months, he needed to keep looking at the good that had come from it. He could say without a doubt that his relationships with his kids and his team were much stronger than he ever thought possible. Bravo team had weathered the storm, and come out the other side stronger, and so would he.

He pulled into the parking spot with the number the building manager had given him, and shut the engine off, trying to create a game plan in his head of how he wanted to tackle unloading the truck. When he finally had it worked out, he got out, and walked around to the back to open the tailgate. As soon as he closed the truck door and turned around he stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion crossing his face at the sight in front of him. All of the men from Bravo team, along with Mandy, Davis, and Eric, were standing quietly behind his truck, waiting for him. He hadn't even heard or seen them all walk over. But then, five of them were SEAL's, after all.

"What, 'd you think we were gon' let you get all the exercise of going up and down all those stairs all to yourself?" Sonny asked with his usual smirk, the Texan's thick accent instantly putting Jason at ease.

"You guys really didn't have to do this." Jason said. Ray instantly rolled his eyes.

"Oh trust me, I know! I could still be sleeping right now! But you guys came through for me when I needed it, so it's time to start returning the favor!" Clay said, and everyone nodded their agreement.

"Alright, then let's do this!" Jason said, and opened the back of the truck. Each person came forward, ready to grab whatever they could, and followed him up the stairs, watching as he fumbled with his key ring, looking for the newest addition.

"Seriously Jase? Come on! This box weighs like 60 pounds!" Brock said impatiently.

"Hey, it's not my fault you wanted to try and show us all up by grabbed the box of fine china! I was gonna put it in storage but mom could've flown down here just to give me a lecture on how they've 'been in the family for decades' and 'are a family heirloom' and all that." Jason said with a smirk as he finally found the key that fit.

"And she'll do the same to you if any of it gets broken." He finished, listening to the chorus of laughter from behind him as he turned the key and pushed the door open.

"Ok man, I see you! This place is nice!" Ray said, setting the box down so he could get a tour of the three bedroom apartment.

"Yea, it's not too bad. I was planning on going smaller, but Emma and Mikey would kill each other if they had to share a room, even during college breaks." Jason replied, putting the tote of Emma's things that didn't fit in her dorm in the slightly larger bedroom. He could already here Mikey's complaints about always getting the smaller room, but figured that he had to pick his battles.

"Sonny, you carried one box! You can't tell me you're already tired! To many beers, huh?" Trent joked, throwing a pillow at him.

"I was just makin' sure the couch is comfy enough!" he answered.

"Why, you testing it out for when that girl your with now kicks you out and takes all your stuff, you have somewhere to sleep?" Clay quipped, eliciting another burst of laughter from the group, even Sonny, who stole a glance at Davis who was standing across the room. Before he could answer, Jason shooed them all out for the rest of the boxes.

 **Two hours later…**

"Alright, looks like everything's out of the truck and pretty much unpacked. Hey, uh… Thanks for doing this you guys. It really does mean a lot." Jason said when he walked back into the apartment to find his friends unloading everything from the boxes, using their discretion to stay away from the ones that seemed personal.

"Of course. Here if your first housewarming gift!" Mandy said, handing him a gift from her, Davis, and Eric. He reached into the bag, and pulled out picture frame holding a picture of the guys during their time in Manila, before the incident. The room went silent when they saw what it was. Clay was in the picture with them, meaning that it was the one that Davis had taken hours before the bombing that changed his and the team's entire lives, and drastically altered the course of the next few months.

"We chose this picture because it shows how much we've all been through in the last few months. But it also shows the strength of this team, of you guys. You guys all could've let these past few months ruin you, but you didn't. You learned from it, and fought harder than I have ever seen before. I'm proud of all of you, and proud to be your commander." Eric said, breaking the silence, but quickly letting it return as he watched his words settle in. Clay waited a few minutes, then walked quietly to the newly stocked fridge, thanks to Naima, and pulled a case of beer, handing one to each person in the room. After opening his, his raised it into the air.

"Hoo-ya!" he yelled, and the room was quickly filled with the response.

 **Hey everyone! I know this one is a little shorter than normal, but I wanted to post a quick, feel good one shot to break my seal team fanfic hiatus! Also, after talking with a fellow writer and Seal Team lover, remiparker, I have formulated an idea for my next multi-chapter fic! However, this one will be separate from this compilation of stories, being a stand alone fic titled** _ **Scars**_ **. I don't know exactly when the first chapter will be posted, as I am going on a short vacation soon, but it shouldn't be too long of a wait! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this fic, and be on the lookout for the new story! Thanks!**


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: Hey guys! I know it's been a long time since I've posted a chapter here, or really anywhere. School has been kicking my butt recently, and I haven't had time to read any fics, let alone write! Anyways, I had the day off today and was itching to get back into the game, and this little one-shot popped into my head!**

 **Don't worry, I'm not abandoning my Scars fic, just ironing out the kinks in the plotline for the next chapter. I hope I can get it out soon!**

 **Finally, for anyone who is new to my SEAL Team fics, or just needs a refresher, Jessie is an original character that I created a while back because I hated the thought that Brock doesn't have anyone waiting for him at home. She is his girlfriend in my stories.**

 **That's all! Enjoy the story, and let me know what you think!**

 **Falling**

 **Fast roping onto the top of a target building is nothing out of the ordinary for the men of Bravo team. Even though he's done both hundreds of times, Brock still prefers a fast rope insertion over a HAHO jump, simply because he's not overly fond of the jolt sent through your entire body when the parachute deploys. But after a freak accident at the very start of this mission, he might just change his mind. Turns out that hitting a concrete roof with only the cushion of a tac vest hurts a bit more than the jolt of a parachute.**

"We're on target. Let's go boys!" Jason said, looking around the cabin of the helicopter they were about to exit. Jason and Ray threw the ropes out either side of the chopper and slid down. Next came Sonny and Trent, and then Clay and Brock got ready to make their descent. Jason was preparing his weapon when he heard the Commander's voice in his ear.

"Bravo be advised, we're looking at what appears to be two enemy combatants on the roof south of your position." Jason was just about to respond when he heard the crackle of a rifle in the distance. Everyone's attention snapped to the direction it had come from, lifting their rifles, ready to return fire. Their attention was quickly drawn back to behind them when they heard a sickening thud. Clay was the first to react, closing the few steps of the distance between him and his fallen brother, who was curled into himself on his side.

 **A few hours earlier…**

Brock smiled at the commotion he heard coming from the kitchen. As he walked around the corner, he rolled his eyes but laughed at the sheepish look on his girlfriends face when she realized he was standing there.

"You weren't supposed to see that." she said with a smirk. Cerberus thumped his tail happily against the floor while licking the remnants of chicken from around his muzzle.

"Please don't ruin all of his training while I'm gone." he said jokingly, setting his rucksack on the counter while he grabbed his plate of food. They shared a quick meal together, as he only had a few more minutes before he needed to leave for the base. He put on his boots near the door and grabbed his bag, and Cerberus trotted over with an excited look in his eyes.

"Sorry boy, you gotta stay home this time. Don't worry, we'll get out the bite suit when I get back!" He said guiltily. He hated leaving the dog behind, especially when he saw how excited he got.

"Don't worry Cerb, we'll have tons of fun till dad gets back!" Jessie said, laughing at the doggy smile she got in return.

"I'm sure you will. Keep the house safe while I'm gone, ok?" He said, scratching the dog behind the ears. He stood up, pulled his bag over one shoulder, and grabbed his keys before leaning in for a kiss.

"Come back safe." Jessie said. He nodded and walked out to his truck.

 **/**

"Alright everyone, focus up! Our HVT for tonight needs no introduction. If we can get Garavito, not only will we win some brownie points with the brass, we'll also be cutting off the largest supply of automatic weapons into the country we're traveling to." Commander Blackburn said, pacing the small floor of the cargo plane that he and his team were on.

"I'm assuming we won't have help from the local government?" Jason asked, looking at the picture of their target and already thinking through all the things that could possibly go wrong. Blackburn was right, the man needed no introduction. If you were in any form of US military, you knew the name Garavito. And you knew that many attempts had been made to capture him, and even more to kill him, but none had been successful. Most of the blame for that fell on the man having ties within his government, even though their current leader was trying desperately to get rid of him.

"While we do have their president on our side, he can't lend us any soldiers or offer any type of protection. If he did, he would likely be assassinated the next day." Davis said.

"Alright, so then where we plannin' on parking this bird? Not very inconspicuous." Sonny asked.

"Wow, Sonny used a big boy word!" Clay teased, swatting away the toothpick that was flicked at him from across the makeshift table.

"We will be landing here, south of their border. You will chopper in and out in disguised as a helo bringing medical supplies, which isn't uncommon. Garavito has kidney disease, and has his medication flown in, with the package dropped on the roof once a month."

"Doesn't that take away the element of surprise?" Brock asked.

"Not necessarily. He's expecting a package, just not a live one." Ray answered.

"Our source says that sometimes he has people on the roof to collect the package, and sometimes he leaves it to sit until morning. It all depends on how urgently he needs the medication. We need to be ready for anything." Eric said and then finished the briefing the team.

 **Present time…**

"Brock! Can you hear me man?! What hurts?" Clay asked, kneeling down beside him as Ray quickly eliminated the combatants on the roof next to them. Brock wanted desperately to answer, but the second his body had made contact with the roof, every ounce of air had left his body. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain as he rolled onto his back once again. A pained gasp rattled through his chest as he sucked in a breath and coughed a few times, his lungs trying to begin functioning properly again.

"E...ev….every...thing…" he croaked out between wheezes. Trent quickly came over and replaced Clay as Blackburn came over the comms once again.

"Bravo team what did we just see?! I need a sitrep!" Eric said, trying to mask the panic in his voice. Since the optics of the op didn't allow for the team to have ISR, the command was watching the mission through the body cams on each team member's chest. They had watched each man's descent through the eyes of their partners' camera simultaneously, which meant that they saw the exact moment that Brock's hands were forcibly removed from the rope by the bullet that had torn through his left forearm, a lucky(or unlucky) shot by the now dead enemy.

"Looks like five took a bullet to the arm, and it knocked him off the rope. Four is checking him over. Did the incident wake up the homeowners?" Jason asked, his eyes flashing between his man and the area surrounding them, particularly the door that led to the building beneath them.

"Do you know how high you fell from? Do you have any pain in your neck or back?" Trent asked, prodding the sides and back of Brock's neck, feeling for any breaks or dislocations.

"N..no. To both." Brock said, finally breathing normally again. His arm felt like it was on fire, as did his torso, but he knew the feeling of a broken bone, and that pain was limited to likely a rib or two and his elbow without a doubt, but not anything too important. He was fairly confident of that.

"Good, that's really good. Can you move all your limbs for me?' Trent asked,

"Unsure Bravo one, remember no ISR on this one." Davis answered.

"Great, so we'll just have to pray it didn't. How is he?" Ray said with annoyance, then turned to Trent.

"No signs of any spinal damage, but the bullet definitely broke his arm." Trent was just finishing wrapping the wound when the door suddenly creaked slowly open, and two men walked out, talking nonchalantly, obviously not aware of the seals that were just a few feet away from them. All six members of Bravo stared, no one moving a muscle. One made eye contact with Sonny and reached for his radio, but was swiftly dropped before he could get a finger on the button, followed almost instantly by his buddy.

"Alright, we gotta move before anyone else wanders up here. Brock, can you…" Jason said but stopped mid-sentence with surprise when he turned and saw his brother who he had expected to still be on the ground now looking him in the eye.

"I'm good to go boss." Brock said, and the surprise filled the rest of his teammates at how quickly he had recovered. If it wasn't for the bandage over the gunshot wound in the left arm and the blood staining his pants, they would have thought that nothing had even happened. All except Trent, who could see right through the adrenaline and forced bravado on his teammate's face. But he also knew that short of tying him down, nothing was going to stop Reynolds from completing the mission. Brock was the most stubborn of the group, masking it with his silent nature. Jason looked at Trent, waiting for his opinion.

"Let's go get our man." Trent said. Jason nodded, saying nothing further. He trusted his men, even though he knew the pain would definitely knock Brock flat on his ass as soon as the adrenaline and shot of morphine wore off. And if he wanted to be there to catch him, he knew they needed to get a move on and finish the mission.

 **A day or two and a few thousand miles away…**

Jessie flipped through the tv channels, stroking the thick fur on the back of Cerberus' neck. She landed finally on one of the national news stations, drawn in by the headline of world news.

"Domonique Garavito, a notorious weapons trafficker was finally apprehended by US special forces three days ago during a raid on his compound. More to come on what this means for the international community when we return." the news anchor said. Jessie was about to flip away when she felt Cerberus lift his head from her lap and silently hop off the couch, and then trott towards the door. She set the remote down and turned in the same direction as she the key turn in the door, and then watched it open. Her instinctive smile was instantly replaced by concern and worry when her eyes caught the thick white cast covering almost the entirety of her boyfriend's left arm, which was also cradled into a sling.

"Oh my gosh! Babe! What happened?!" she asked, Cerberus woofing, seemingly posing the same question.

"Took a bullet through the arm. But I'm pretty sure the guy was aiming for the torso. Not a very good shot." Brock answered with a small smirk, setting his bag down on the floor. He leaned down to pet Cerb, hoping that Jessie hadn't seen how his face twisted in pain at the movement. The pain meds they had given him when he had been checked into the base hospital were starting to wear off.

"Only you would make a joke about getting shot! Are you ok? Tell me what happened!" She answered, shaking her head and moving quickly across the room to his side, as to examine him closer.

"We were fast-roping onto the target when a sniper got me in the arm. I lost my grip on the rope and feel a few feet onto the roof. The bullet broke my arm and the fall broke my elbow in two places and bruised a few ribs. My vest and helmet did their job, no internal damage. Mphh…. And a lot of bruises." He explained, letting out a grunt when he bumped his left hip into the side of the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"My gosh! Thank god you're not paralyzed! Do you need anything? An icepack? Some food? Any medicine?" Jessie asked, hovering over him.

"Hey, babe, slow down. Look at me. I'm fine, ok? I'm here, and all I need is a kiss, a beer, and to melt into the couch over there with you." he said, reaching his good hand towards hers. After a deep sigh and a long kiss, he led him over to the couch and made sure he was comfy.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Always. I'll eat whatever you make!' he said, shifting his weight a little to push the cushions of the couch around so that they would form around his aching body. She quickly made two sandwiches and grabbed two drinks, and started to say something as she rounded the corner, but quickly hushed when she took in the sight in front of her. Brock was fast asleep, already starting to snore, with Cerberus curled tightly into his lap, his head over his human's arm that was resting on the side of the couch, with the one in the sling settled over the dog's stomach. She laughed quietly when Cerb wagged his tail softly, acknowledging her presence without waking his master. She took the food back to the fridge and soon came to join her boys in the cushions. Suddenly, the apartment didn't feel so empty anymore.


	37. Chapter 37

**New Guy**

" _ **If you need a guy who will keep his mouth shut and his kit tight, and who wants to do the work? Well then I might just be your guy."**_ **True to his word, Vic Lopez had been just that since being drafted to Bravo. The silent, sturdy, hardworking guy. But sometimes being silent isn't always good. Especially when your leaking blood.**

Vic woke to the sound of his phone ringing from his bedside table. He quickly sat up against the headboard and picked it up. Among many other things, BUDS had taught him to be as fully awake and alert as possible at less than a moments notice.

"Hello?"

"Morning newbie, sorry to wake you so early, bosses orders. We're getting spun up." Clay's voice sounded from the other end. Although he sounded alert, Vic could tell he wasn't masking the tiredness in his voice very well. He was surprised though by the friendliness in Spencers voice. After all, he had made it overwhelmingly clear when they met that he was not a fan of Vic. But after the events in Yemen, they seemed to have an understanding. Dare he say it, but maybe they were even growing on each other.

"Sounds good. Be there in ten." Vic answered and hung up. He stood, stretched, and quickly went through his morning routine before leaving for the base.

 **In Ops…**

"Someone wanna explain to me why we're gettin' spun up at the butt crack 'a dawn?" Sonny asked grumpily as the team took their seats around the conference table.

"Well Sonny, when we find whichever bad guy we're chasing down today, I'll be sure to let them know how much they've inconvenienced you." Clay said with a smirk, eliciting laughter from the group.

"Well since you asked so nicely Sonny, I'll tell you." Mandy replied, walking to the front of the room and switching on the screens and causing a few more snickers from the guys.

"The rogue agent returns! What does the CIA need us for this time?" Jason asked after poking fun at Ellis.

"Good to see you guys again too. The agency sent me here to give you this mission. I'm sure you have all heard about the Marine convoy that was ambushed last week."

"Wasn't that the one carrying a bunch of POWs? I thought that Kahn's group claimed responsibility for that?" Ray asked, looking at the images on the screen.

"That's correct. With the leader of the camp dead, the Marines were able to go in and get the prisoners out, but Kahn and his men attacked them, killing them before they could even leave the country." Ellis replied.

"I'm missing something. Are we going to get Kahn? Because we're gonna need a lot more people in this room if we are." Clay questioned.

"I agree. The agency hopes to eventually go after Kahn and his men, but not this time. We have received intel that although Kahn's men ambushed the convoy, it was this man, Sadar Rastam, who gave up their location. He was the second in command of the camp, and the Marines had orders to kill him, but he escaped and got into contact with Kahn. After that, he went into hiding." Mandy explained.

"So he's the reason we're gettin' spun up?" Sonny quipped.

"That's correct Sonny. And we're on a clock. We've found where Rastam is hiding, but we know he won't be there for long. Another convoy that will be bringing the fallen Marines home is set to leave 0300 on Wednesday morning, and we know that Rastam is planning another attack on them. You guys are being sent into this building where he is holed up to execute him, and anyone with him. This mission is strictly to get in, eliminate the target, and gather any information he has on the convoy or our troops in the area so that it can be kept out of the wrong hands." Blackburn said, stepping in. Davis also joined in, and the team began to plan the op.

 **One flight later…**

"Havoc this is One, we're passing Damon." Jason said as the vans drove through the dusty streets of the town.

"Good copy one, passing Damon." came the reply.

"Why would anyone be out this early in the morning?" Vic asked to no one in particular as he looked through the small gap between the curtains in the windows of the van.

"Haven't you ever gone for an early morning run new guy?" Clay answered with a smirk from the seat opposite Vic.

"Yeah sure, but I definitely wasn't carrying an AK with me." he replied, getting laughter from the team.

"That's right, I forgot. Sonny's the one who does that." Clay said, adding to the lightness in the air, despite the seriousness of the op in front of them.

"Don't listen to blondie Vic, it's actually a Glock, and you never know when your gonna run into a rattler!" Sonny answered from the following vehicle.

"Where the heck are you running Sonny, the middle of the mountains? And I thought you hated running?" Ray asked with a laugh.

"Probably got caught in the wrong girls' house!" Trent replied, bringing a new burst of laughter. Before Sonny could defend himself, the van pulled up to the front of the target building.

"Alright boys, let's make this quick." Jason said, and Vic readied his weapon and followed the rest of the team out of the van and into the building.

The team split into rows of four on their way towards the building, moving as one. Ray breached the door with ease and excellence, as he had done thousands of times before. They moved down the halls quickly and silently, so much that each time a man walked out of a room, they were dead before they even knew what happened. They were moving closer to the stairs, clearing out the rooms one by one. Vic split off from the team into one of the rooms in the hallway to clear it, caught by surprise when his gun was knocked from his hands. He hardly had time to watch it slide across the floor before there was a man on top of him. He felt cold metal against his skin and felt a twinge of pain from his waist. As the fight ensued, he watched a knife hit the floor, bloody, but his mind was riddled with so much adrenaline, he ignored the obvious. In the next breath, he pulled his sidearm and pulled the trigger. Clay rounded the corner to the room just in time to see the last seconds of the fight and to help him to his feet.

"Havin' fun in here?" Clay quipped, unconsciously giving the new rookie a once over. He noticed the blood on his waist but knew the had to keep moving, telling himself that the kid could handle himself and that he would check on him later.

"Always." Vic said with a smirk, holstering his Glock and then picking up his rifle. His face twisted slightly at the pain that made itself known once again. He pushed it away, remembering the Mandys words from the team meeting _Time-sensitive…_

"You alright?" Clay asked, noticing the muffled grunt from his teammate.

"Yea. Let's go." Vic replied, doing his best to sound normal, and brush off the pain. Luckily(or unluckily) for him, as soon as he rejoined the team and they were moving again, his adrenaline kicked in once again. They moved up the winding stairs clearing rooms once again until they came to the last in the hallway.

"Set the charges." Jason said, motioning for Sonny, who moved forward and quietly placed the blocks on the door hinges. They all stood back as he set them off, launching the door into the room. The ran overtop of it and quickly filled the room with bullets.

"Havoc this one, we pass Stalone. Moving to exfil." Jason checked in.

"Bag everything in here, I don't care how many holes it's got in it," he said, taking a picture of their target and sending it to command. Within minutes, the team was finished and moving again. Vic stood from grabbing a discarded cell phone off of the floor when suddenly a groan escaped him. A shock wave of pain hit him seemingly all at once, and he pressed a glove against the source, a mixture of fear and annoyance washing over him when it came away bloody. He realized that his adrenaline was finally wearing off and that he wouldn't be able to ignore the pain for much longer. He was hoping the team hadn't heard or didn't notice that he was in pain. He was new, still trying to prove that he was Bravo material. It wasn't that he thought he wasn't cut out for Bravo, he knew he had earned his tier-one status. It was the fact that he loved this job more than anything, and wasn't going to waste the opportunity, or let anything take it from him. Especially not some little cut. With that thought in mind, he stood to his feet, hoping that he didn't look as shaky as he felt. He joined the rest of the team as they swiftly made their exit from the building, throwing smoke grenades into the street before filing into the waiting vans.

Vic could feel the hot fabric of the interior of the van against his arm, and the bouncing of the car as it drove through the rocky, unpaved streets of the town. Somehow the road seemed a lot bumpier now than they had on the ride in. Every time the tire ran over another rock, it felt as though all of his organs were dropping to the soles of his feet, and then shooting back up to his head. He stared at the seat in front of him, trying to find something to focus on. His head was swimming with pain, and his vision was starting to darken at the edges. He could hear Clay and Jason talking around him, and the others replying through his earpiece, but for some reason, they all sounded distant. He looked down and cursed under his breath when he saw red starting to stain his pant leg. Just as he was about to do something about it, the van took an especially hard jolt from a hole in the road. A new fierce wave of pain hit him, and before he could fight it off, his world went completely black.

"See boys, these are the kinds of ops I like! Quick and dirty." Sonny said, causing a slew of eye rolls and laughs.

"I thought that's how you like everything Sonny!" Clay said back. The van erupted with noise as the conversation turned from there.

"Life must really be like that recently huh Sonny? I've seen you prowling around the bar!" Trent added to the light conversation.

"What can I say? Ol' Sonny Quinn is back and better than ever! Outta the rut!" Sonny replied, his southern drawl coming through stronger than ever.

"Yea, thanks to the New guy making you look good!" Clay said, finally looking towards Vic's seat for the first time since they'd been back in the vans. He was about to make a jab at the rookie for not joining in on the conversation when he suddenly saw why, and his mood instantly switched.

"Ain't that right Vi…. What the…? Shit!" the light mood was sucked out of the air all at once at the sound of fear in Clay's voice. Everyone turned towards the sound, curious as to what was making Clay waver that much.

"There's blood everywhere! Where's the bleeding from?! Trent?!" Clay said frantically, trying to find the source of the sticky red liquid that was dripping from the seat onto the floor. He called for Trent, but the medic had already started to climb over the seats as soon as he heard the word blood and the fear in his teammates' voice.

"Help me get his kit off. Did anyone see him go down? What happened?!" Trent asked, jumping into action. He and Clay carefully pulled the helmet and vest off, discarding it to the floor. Jason quickly jumped over the seats to join the madness, yelling over his shoulder at the driver ordering him to go faster.

"I heard him clearing one of the rooms when we first got in there. He was a few feet ahead of me, I heard a fight but by the time I got in there he had killed the guy. It must've happened then! Dammit! I should've moved faster!" Clay said, finally putting everything together in his mind.

"This isn't your fault Clay. He killed the guy in the end so he can obviously handle himself." Ray said, trying to comfort his brothers from the other van while also trying to hide the worry they were all feeling. One of their brothers was down and half of them couldn't even see what was going on.

"He's right, we can all blame ourselves as much as we want but that's not gonna do anything right now. What're we looking at Trent?" Jason said, also doing his best to keep everyone calm. Why did his rookie's always have to scare him like this? Didn't they know how old he was?!

"Looks like a stab wound, doesn't seem to deep though, I only see muscle. He's probably lost a good bit of blood already though. I think he's waking up, make sure he holds still." Trent said, and with that, all eyes snapped up towards the kid's face.

Once again, Vic could hear his teammates' voices in the distance, but this time they seemed to be getting closer instead of further away like last time. He picked his head up and began to blink. As his vision cleared, he saw three concerned faces looking back and him, and only then did he realize that he had passed out. He could feel the painful pressure of Trent's hand on the lower part of his stomach and started to squirm against. This action was immediately met by multiple hands reaching towards him, and voice trying to soothe him.

"Easy man, easy. Try not to move ok? Trent's gonna fix you up." Jason said, keeping a hand on the top of Vic's shoulder with a thumb near his neck. He disguised it as a reassuring touch when it also served as a way for him to keep track of the rookie's pulse.

"What the shit man?! You should've told me you were stabbed when I got into the room! What happened?!" Clay asked a bit more forcefully. Vic had finally gotten his bearings again and was now trying to deal with the burning pain along with the hatred he felt from being the center of attention, and the worry he could feel emanating from Clay's voice. When he finally got his thoughts together, he answered.

"Th ... the dude got a jump on me. D...Didn't think it was that bad. Besides… ops said it was t..time sensitive." he answered slowly, biting his lip when Trent popped the cap off of a syringe of morphine and then pushed it into his thigh. Trent then pealed the soiled bandaged off and packed the wound with clean ones.

"So much for him not bein' a cowboy like the rest of us!" Sonny interjected just as the vans pulled up to the airstrip. They had known they would need to be out of the country as soon as possible, so Blackburn, Davis, and Ellis had made the plane their command center so they could head home as soon as they cleared the city. As soon as they came to a stop, the rest of Bravo team that had been in the follow van was there, opening the doors and covering them.

"We don't have time for me to wrap it. I'll clean and stitch it once we're on the plane, let's move!" Trent said. He slowly helped Vic out of the car, draping one arm over his shoulder, holding tightly to his wrist with one hand, and the other holding the bandages securely in place.

"Davis! Get me one of those cots. Ray, grab my bag for me and a bunch of towels. Thanks. Clay, help me get him up here." Trent said, everyone doing as they were told as quickly as possible when the ramp closed and the team was safely on the plane.

"I wasn't informed of an injury! When did this happen?" Eric said with shock at the sight that greeted him as his team came in from what he had thought was a successful op without any complications. According to the scene in front of him, he had thought wrong.

"Yea, we weren't informed either! In fact, we didn't know until Spenser saw him unconscious on the seat next to him with blood all over the floor!" Jason said. Within seconds of Vic being lifted onto the cot, Trent had gotten all his supplied from his kit and pulled his patients' shirt off with one swift move. Brock set up a makeshift IV drip for the bag of blood that Vic would be getting for the duration of the flight and stuck him with the needle.

"I was clearing a room. A guy got a jump on me, knocked my gun out of my hand. We fought for a while, but I f...finally got him. It only f...felt like a little cut!" Vic answered as his team, now including command stood close by as Trent set to work.

"That's adrenaline for ya! Misleading, and awful when it wears off!" Brock said. Vic flinched at the sting of the antiseptic Trent was using to clean and irrigate the wound. He had seen how ugly battlefield medicine looked but was only now realizing how much it hurt.

"Well, at least this time you got lucky! The blade didn't get past the muscle, and it should only take about…. Eh.. eight stitches. Do you have pain anywhere else? Did you feel any ribs crack or anything like that?" Trent asked.

"Uh… he got a good shot in on my shoulder, but it's probably just bruised. I think the vest kept my ribs safe." Vic replied. Trent nodded his agreement after feeling around Vic's rib cage and chest and then looking at his shoulder.

"Alright, the morphine should kick in any second now. I'll patch you up, you just relax and we'll be stateside before you know it!" Trent said, the usual calm in his voice eliciting a deep sigh from the new guy. Vic settled back against the pillow and tried to think of something other than the needle poking into his side.

 **Home base…**

Vic signed the release papers, thanked the nurse, and stood from the bed with a hand pressed against his side. He groaned slightly when putting on his rucksack rubbed hard on the black and blue bruise on his shoulder while also pulling on his newly-stitched skin. He couldn't wait to grab a beer out of his fridge - that he hoped wasn't expired, but their schedule had been crazy lately, so he hadn't had much time to clean out the kitchen - and melt into the new memory foam mattress that his sister had bought him as a gift for getting drafted by Bravo.

As soon as he rounded the corner into the waiting room of the base hospital though, he could tell by the commotion that his team had other plans in mind for him.

"There he is! First stay in the base hospital, that's a case of beer" Clay announced as he walked over to join them.

"The rookie hazing stops for nothing, huh?" Vic asked with a smile.

"Absolutely not! It's a right of passage young buck!" Sonny replied.

"And you can expect Clay to lay it on thick! He's been dying for it to be his turn!" Ray said, laughing at the look he got in return. They went on for a few more minutes, adding so many reasons for cases of beer that Lopez had already lost count. Then, Trent interrupted.

"In all seriousness though, Vic, this is the first and last time you hide an injury from us. I know we'd all be lying if any of us said we've never done it ourselves, but that's not what matters. This team? We're brothers. We watch each other six. We've had way too many close calls recently, so I don't care how much it hurts your pride, if get so much as a twisted ankle, you let me know. Got it?". Everyone had gone quiet, hearing the sincerity in the medic's voice.

"Yea. Copy that." Vic said, looking him in the eye, and then scanning around to the rest of them. Trent nodded.

"Alright then! Who else needs a beer?" Jason said, breaking the silence after a few minutes. Everyone answered quickly.

"First rounds on me! I guess it's only fair!" Vic said, getting cheers in reply, and laughed to himself. As the group made their way into the parking lot, Vic says Clay hanging back a little. Just as they were both about to part ways for their vehicles, Clay spoke up.

"I'm glad your ok man."

"Thanks. So uh… no more 'new guy'?" Vic asked, after a firm and sincere handshake.

"Oh no, that's not going away that easy! You gotta earn a different nickname, which I'm sure won't take long!" Clay answered with a smirk and then turned towards his car with a wave. Vic laughed and shook his head, climbing gingerly into his truck.


End file.
